The Education of Sustainable Development Laboratory:
Leadership in Education
Envisioned Through a Hawaiian Community Collaborative Project
Robert Don Peel, P.Geo., M.Sc., FEC (Hon.), FGC
Plan B Project
Submitted to the Department of Educational Foundations,
College of Education, University Of Hawaiʿi Mānoa
In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Masters of Education
April 2014
Approved by
_______Original Signed by______
Dr. B. Jeannie Lum
______Original Signed by_______
Dr. Deane Neubauer
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Table of Contents Chapter 1: The University Laboratory School Redevelopment Project
Introduction............................................................................................................ 4
Statement of Purpose.............................................................................................. 6
Research Questions................................................................................................. 6
Significance of Study............................................................................................... 7
Structure and Organization of Dissertation..................................................................... 7
Chapter 2: The Call for a New Educational Paradigm
Education and World Development....................................................................... 9
International Paradigm Shift Due to World War II................................................ 10
United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development..................................... 12
Agenda 21................................................................................................... 12
Millennium Development Goals................................................................. 16
Decade of Education for Sustainable Development................................... 17
United Nations Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform................ 19
Call for Civil Society Engagement.............................................................. 25
Youth Movements.................................................................................................... 26
Participatory Research and Program Development for ESD................................... 28
Chapter 3: The Culture of Learning and Rationality
The Culture of Learning and Rationality................................................................. 33
Knowledge Development Frameworks........................................................ 34
Basics of Social Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches….. 37
Social Work Research Methods: Four alternative paradigms…….. 41
Experience Research Social Change: Methods beyond the mainstream.... 43
Nature’s Way: Native Wisdom for Living in Balance With the Earth..... 44
Research Methodology Influence on Knowledge Development for ESD………… 44
Cognitive Development and Meditation.............................................................. .... 47
Research Paradigm of the ULS.................................................................................. 47
Chapter 4: The Sustainability Movement
The Green School Movement.................................................................................... 49
Laboratory Schools as a Catalyst to ESD.................................................................. 53
University Laboratory School: A Built Reputation in Educational Reform............ 55
Curriculum Research & Development Group............................................... 58
ULS Campus Rejuvenation Project: Research for Program Development for ESD. 60
Environmental Audit of the ULS Facilities.................................................. 68
University of Hawaiʻi Sustainability Movement...................................................... 72
Office of Sustainability.................................................................................. 74
The Charter of Sustainability: Stewardship Based on Island Values............ 74
Sustainability Retreat..................................................................................... 75
Sustainable Saunders..................................................................................... 77
Mānoa Sustainability Council........................................................................ 78
East West Center............................................................................................ 79
Chapter 5: Hawaiian Traditional Resource Management
Hawaiʿi, the Hub of Aloha, Seedbed of Sustainability............................................. 81
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Chapter 6: Applicability of a Public Participatory Process
Inspiring Education........................................................................................ 89
Research Project on Inspiring Education....................................................... 90
School Experiences............................................................................ 90
Vision of Dream Education............................................................... 91
Chapter 7: The ULS Opportunity
Discussion.................................................................................................................. 97
Conclusions................................................................................................................ 101
References............................................................................................................................. 106
List of Tables
Table 1: Number of Registered Voluntary Top 20 Sustainable Development Initiatives.... 22
Table 2: Top 10 Funded Commitments by Category........................................................... 23
Table 3: Distribution of Deliverables of Completion by Year............................................. 23
Table 4: Framework Comparison of Research Methodologies for Knowledge.............................. 36
List of Photos
Photo 1: Energy Consumption & Sustainable Constructed Facilities.................................. 50
Photo 2: Energy Consumption & Sustainable Constructed Facilities.................................. 51
Photo 3: Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy Energy Lab............................................................ 52
Photo 4: University Laboratory School Chicago Early Childhood Building....................... 54
Photo 5: University Laboratory School Chicago Early Childhood Building....................... 55
Photo 6: ULS Campus 2004................................................................................................. 61
Photo 7: ULS Campus 2007................................................................................................. 62
Photo 8: ULS Campus 2013.................................................................................................. 62
Photo 9: Castle Memorial Hall.............................................................................................. 63
Photo 10: Central Hallway Castle Memorial Hall................................................................. 64
Photo 11: Castle Memorial Hall Lanai.................................................................................. 65
Photo 12: High School (Building 3)...................................................................................... 65
Photo 13: High School Classroom Building 3...................................................................... 66
Photo 14: High School Lanai................................................................................................. 66
Photo 15: Multi-Purpose Building......................................................................................... 67
Photo 16: Multi-Purpose Building......................................................................................... 67
Photo 17: Multi-Purpose Building......................................................................................... 70
List of Figures
Figure 1: Steps in Research Process...................................................................................... 39
Figure 2: ULS Campus including the College of Education................................................. 58
Figure 3: Policy Shift............................................................................................................. 93
Figure 4: Governance Shift.................................................................................................... 93
Appendix A: Photographs of ULS Status during Environmental Audit
Appendix B: Environmental Audit Data
Appendix C: Message to UH Chancellor: Student Participation towards Sustainability
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Chapter 1: The University Laboratory School Redevelopment Project
“Helping people to experience themselves as living bodies on a living earth . . . is necessary in
achieving any solution to the problems we all face . . . Only with the bodily experience of power
and compassion will people have the courage and the desire and the ability to undertake what
must be done to heal the planet.” Dr. Paul Linden
Introduction
Three distinct periods of human evolution have altered the capacity of humans to
“develop” and “experience” the world in which they live. First, the longest period of human
existence was transcended when the hunter-gatherer nomadic tribes learned to settle in one
location by propagating local food sources through the domestication of plants and animals
(practice of agriculture). Secondly, through scientific discoveries and technological advances,
production increased to usher in a more intensive economic growth paradigm (Industrial Age).
Thirdly, education became a wide spread activity leading to a growing, diverse, highly-educated
work force, which stimulated a greater degree of individual and intellectual freedom
(Information Age). At the heart of these shortening evolutional eras has been an expansion of
humans’ intellectual ability to manipulate materials of the Earth to enhance human
“development” and “experience”. These evolutionary periods have also been accompanied by
human population growth, now at a level exceeding the Earth’s resource supply capacity if every
human is to attain the standard of living enjoyed by an average American.
Such a scenario has challenging implications for attaining global equality and democracy,
tenants of the overall mission of United Nations (UN) to achieve world peace. However, the UN
has become a recognized medium for uniting the international community to work together on
global issues. An example is Agenda 21 (1992), a pivotal agreement ratified by 178 nations,
which charts a path to a new paradigm labelled “sustainable development”.
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When there was less than anticipated evidence of a shift from the existing economic-
driven paradigm towards a sustainable paradigm after 12 years of Agenda 21’s implementation,
the international community agreed to increase the focus on the educational component. The UN
declared 2005 to 2014 as the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. This is in
recognition of the capacity of human intellect in manifesting new strategies when threats to
survival appear. The discoveries of cures for diseases reaching epidemic levels are examples of
human intellect enhancing human survival.
The Decade is an international response to heighten the level of global intellectual
capacity to find strategies to deal with burgeoning issues related to population expansion and
resource exploitation. Fortunately technological advances, associated with the Information Age,
in communication and data analyses have increased the participatory level within the global
community. Internet access to the exponential growing multi-perspective data accumulation
makes all learning institutions and their community, potential breeding grounds for creating local
solutions to global issues by consciously designing, implementing, and performing daily
sustainable practices. In addition to this intellectual focus, I point out there is a possibility that
the knowledge development framework used by the institutions may influence the values
adopted or mindset produced.
The University Laboratory School (ULS), a preK (pre-kindergarten) -12th grade
educational research facility operating under the Curriculum & Research Development Group of
the College of Education of the University of Hawai’i, Manoa, is a convenient institution to
assess the knowledge development practices being implemented and how they are affecting the
level of sustainable action. If the ULS displays as an exemplary sustainability educational model,
it can be thus flagged to increase its influence on education programs nationally and
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internationally. Secondly, the ULS is in the planning stages to upgrade its aging facilities and
renovate the campus. This presents an opportunity to apply sustainable development practices in
the process of researching, designing, and constructing a model sustainable campus. Thirdly, the
ULS is associated and shares facilities with the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa, a community
displaying a rising level of activity related to sustainability initiatives.
Statement of Purpose
The purpose of this project is to document the current status of the ULS’s influence on
inducing a “sustainability mindset” across the spectrum of preK - Grade 12 students and
determine if additional sustainable development parameters can be implemented to strengthen
that objective. The project will assess the feasibility of using the ULS campus redevelopment
program as an opportunity to engage the ULS and UH communities in aligning curriculum with
practical application of sustainable development methodologies to create a “green” campus and a
locally tailored learning environment.
Research Questions
What knowledge development framework does the ULS employ? Does “education for
sustainable development” offer strategies that the ULS can implement in the School’s campus
redevelopment and curriculum development processes? Can the ULS redevelopment initiative
interact with the UHM sustainability initiatives to strengthen the evolution of both initiatives?
Can the Hawaiian cultural component and the UHM Hawaiian strategy be applied to the ULS’s
development plans? Does the knowledge development framework have any influence on
students’ mindset programming? Does a public participatory process offer any guidance to the
campus redevelopment process?
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Significance of Study
The world is facing unprecedented environmental and resource depletion issues as the
economic gap between the wealthy and poor widens. In an environment of increased military
deployment and global financial crisis, there is an urgency to shift from the conflict-provoking
modus operandi to a sustainable development paradigm (Worldwatch Institute 2012). According
to a consensus from the international community (UN representatives), education is recognized
as an “engine” to achieve a sustainable development paradigm.
The ULS’s traditional role of researching and designing educational programs can be
applied towards determining curricula most effective in inducing sustainable (systems) thinking
and collaborative participatory actions. The urgent need for a paradigm shift identified by the
global network (Agenda 21), in conjunction with the escalating debate on education, leads one to
consider that the ULS is a manageable model to research and assess programs that heighten
student participation in contributing towards “education for sustainable development” (ESD).
The redevelopment planning challenge faced by the ULS, along with the function of developing
programs for ESD, offer a significant opportunity to create a Made in Hawaiʻi campus designed
by the ULS and University of Hawaiʻi communities, maximizing local climatic and cultural
attributes. This has the potential to position the ULS and UH as leaders in the design of a
sustainable learning environment.
Structure and Organization of the Paper
Chapter 1 provides an overview of the evolution of human development and its
relationship to the global conflicts being currently experienced along with an international
designed strategy plan to address the associated global issues. The chapter also identifies the
University Laboratory School as a research institution in a unique position to advance “education
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for sustainable development” towards the goals of the international strategy. Chapter 2
documents the foundational origin and significance of the concept of sustainable development.
Chapter 3 compares four research methodologies to assess if there is any advantage of one over
the other to induce a sustainable mindset. The green school movement, a product of the
sustainability movement, is outlined in Chapter 4 as well as the Laboratory Schools’ role in the
evolution of education. This qualifies the importance of the University Laboratory School’s
(ULS) role as a research and program developer, building a case that the ULS campus
redevelopment project is an opportunity to engage student participation in conjunction with ESD
program development. This role is further amplified by the sustainability movement at the UH,
also outlined in the chapter. The chapter outlines the advantages of establishing a dedicated
partnership between the UH and ULS to address the sustainability challenges of both campuses,
with the potential of positioning the ULS to become an international program developer of
education for sustainable development (ESD). Chapter 5 looks at the significance of Hawaiʿi’s
position culturally and geographically, which further builds on the case of ULS as a potential
leader in the ESD movement. Chapter 6 is a profile of a Canadian participatory process designed
for creating policies specific to educational reform. The model may offer insights for designing a
participatory process best suited to apply to strengthening the ULS’s educational strategy.
Chapter 7 answers the research questions, concluding that the ULS campus redevelopment
challenge has the potential to be an opportunity for building on the research components of both
the ULS and UH. In turn this opportunity has the potential to elevate the capacity of both
institutions to identify and address potential obstacles of their sustainability efforts.
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Chapter 2: The Call for a New Educational Paradigm
“Despite unprecedented economic growth in the 20th century, persistent poverty and inequality
still affect too many people, especially those who are most vulnerable. Conflicts continue to draw
attention to the need for building a culture of peace. The global financial and economic
crises highlight the risks of unsustainable economic development models and practices based on
short-term gains. The food crisis and world hunger are an increasingly serious issue.
Unsustainable production and consumption patterns are creating ecological impacts that
compromise the options of current and future generations and the sustainability of life on
Earth.” (Opening Statement, Bonn Declaration, generated by the participants of the UNESCO
World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development) (UNESCO, 2009) Education and World Development
Education appears to be a catalyst for human evolution, which is likely the reason the
United Nations declared 2005 -2014 as the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development in
an effort to intensify the actions dealing with pending global issues. The urgency of adopting a
sustainable development paradigm is captured in the 2013 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) report, where research reconfirms human activity is the primary cause of changes
in planetary weather systems, which are affecting the balance of the global ecosystems. The
consequence of these changes is viewed as life-threatening for all inhabitants of Earth.
They peg a significant contributor for climate alteration as being the use of fossil fuels
that are escalating carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Fossil fuels revolutionized humans’
ability to harness energy that has given rise and driven the Industrial Age, a product of the
scientific revolution (Al-Khalili 2012). The scientific revolution resulted from humans’ capacity
to learn how to tap into and manipulate the natural world. Critics of the IPCC’s findings cannot
deny this human capacity has altered the face of the Earth, with a trend that has the potential to
exceed the carrying capacity of the Earth. It has been determined that to support the total human
population at the resource consumption rate of the developed countries, five Planet Earths are
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required (Thompson 2010). Underlying this learning capacity used to manipulate the natural
resources is knowledge development and transfer of knowledge through an organized
educational system. However, this evidence then suggests that the educational system could be
an influence behind productivity advancements that accelerate environmental destruction.
The evidence of global climate change is being documented by IPCC research, a research
initiative commissioned by the United Nations, involving over 800 scientists from 195 countries.
They study the causes and impacts of climate change. IPCC is one of thousands of initiatives that
have been instigated by the United Nations (UN), since 1945, to facilitate an international
collaborative to address world issues. The UN is an international organization consisting of
virtually all of the nation states, giving it a capacity to initiate and support such global problem-
solving projects. The international community-building capacity of the UN gives validity to the
data being collected and published under such initiatives; therefore can act as a credible source
of information for the guidance in sustainable strategies for the ULS and UH. To understand the
application of the UN’s sustainable development directives to the ULS educational development
process, it is beneficial to briefly review the history behind the directives.
International Paradigm Shift Due to World War II
Although World War I was deemed “the war to end all wars” and triggered the formation
of the “League of Nations”, it appears World War II created a major shift in consciousness about
the survival of humanity. The scale of casualties of war could no longer be ignored by a
“civilized” society. Triggered by the state of the world due to WWII, international collaboration
became reality through the transformation of the League of Nations into a global unity movement
labelled the United Nations (UN). The UN began to articulate international standards which
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stimulated global equality. One of the first international standards, the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights (1948), triggered a global movement towards manifesting Article 26:
(1) “Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the
elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory.
Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher
education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.”
(2) “Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to
the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote
understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups,
and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.”
(3) “Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their
children” (United Nations 2010).
With education evolving in the Industrial Age, education became an economic
investment for nations to compete in a global economy based on international trade. With the
industrialized nations gaining power, they began to dominate in shaping global policy through
the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank
(Spring 1998). Education is seen as a way to cultivate human capital (Sadovnik et al. 2001)
towards a world of endless opportunities, based on economic principles. A disciple of the
influential economist Friedrich Von Hayek, Milton Friedman, echoes the Hayekian free market
principles by arguing that an individualist and a prosperous society can only “be achieved in a
liberal order in which government activity is limited primarily to establishing the framework
within which individuals are free to pursue their own objectives. The free market is the only
mechanism that has ever been discovered for achieving participatory democracy” (Hayek 2009).
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This approach appears to be the foundation of neoliberalism that essentially transfers the
power of the vote to the power of choice in the free market (Spring 1998 p. 124). This approach
does not appear to be aiding the less fortunate, who have little bargaining power in the market
place which equates to between 5 billion and 8,800,000 people when the poverty line is drawn at
$1.00 or $10.00 (USD)/day respectively. Approximately half the population of the world (3.15
billion) earn below $2.50/day (WBD 2005). In these poor families, children are used as a
survival mechanism to find resources to keep the family fed, making the option of sending the
children to school more of a hardship on the family.
To address these concerns along with the growing environmental issues associated with
resource development by the free market, the UN gathered world leaders together at the first
Earth Summit in 1992.
United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD)
Through an international consensus that human activity was degrading the environmental
conditions of the Earth, the United Nations reacted by conducting the 1992 Earth Summit in
which “Agenda 21” was tabled and ratified by 178 nations.
Agenda 21
Agenda 21 became the blueprint for the concept of “sustainable development”, stemming
from the framework outlined in “Our Common Future” also known as the “Brundtland Report”
(World Commission on Environment and Development 1987). This triggered many
organizations, both government and non-government, to use the tenets of sustainable
development as a guide in operations and policy development. Many corporations also began to
incorporate sustainable practices into their operations while finding new markets for more
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environmentally friendly products. However, this approach is still operating in the traditional
economic-driven paradigm, placing the highest priority on maximizing profit.
To shift to a sustainable development paradigm, there is a growing recognition that a new
mindset or consciousness is required. Under the new paradigm, all development decisions are
made giving equal consideration to the economic, social, and environmental values. Therefore,
large money-making development ventures would require a thorough investigation of how the
associated environmental and social impacts can be avoided or mitigated. This is evident in
government policies and laws of the developed countries that now require developers to conduct
detailed environmental impact assessments to gain approvals for major projects. Such
assessments are also subject to public scrutiny. However, large corporations can sidestep such
approval requirements by relocating operations to countries with less development restrictions or
effectively lobby government decision makers to allow their development to be exempt from
restrictive regulations. In order to adequately address threatening global trends such as climate
change, population growth, or acidification of the oceans, development policy has to be applied
and regulated consistently across the planet.
Since Agenda 21 is a worldwide ratified strategy framework, its strategies can be the
basis of a consistent global policy framework. The agreement is divided into four sections: 1)
Social and Economic Dimensions,2) Conservation and Management of Resources for
Development, 3) Strengthening the Roles of Major Groups, and 4) Means of Implementation. The
importance of education in the implementation of the framework can be applied to each chapter
under the Means of Implementation section. Chapter 36 in Means of Implementation,
“Promoting education, public awareness and training”, specifically identifies a strategy for
education, to be implemented with the other areas relevant to the knowledge development
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through the empowerment of women, children and youth, and indigenous peoples (Strengthening
the Roles of Major Groups-Chapters 24, 25, 26). These are the populations who have had little
direct voice on establishing societal rules, and the international community envisions that
through the increased participation in policy development, by these major groups, human
existence has the potential to be transformed into a paradigm of worldwide sustainability.
These pertinent sections of Section III are as follows:
24.1. The international community has endorsed several plans of action and conventions for the full,
equal and beneficial integration of women in all development activities... Effective implementation of these programmes will depend on the active involvement of women in economic and political
decision-making and will be critical to the successful implementation of Agenda 21.
25.1. Youth comprise nearly 30 per cent of the world's population. The involvement of today's youth
in environment and development decision-making and in the implementation of programmes is
critical to the long-term success of Agenda 21.
26.1. Indigenous people and their communities have an historical relationship with their lands and
are generally descendants of the original inhabitants of such lands. In the context of this chapter the
term "lands" is understood to include the environment of the areas which the people concerned traditionally occupy. Indigenous people and their communities represent a significant percentage of
the global population. They have developed over many generations a holistic traditional scientific
knowledge of their lands, natural resources and environment. Indigenous people and their communities shall enjoy the full measure of human rights and fundamental freedoms without
hindrance or discrimination. Their ability to participate fully in sustainable development practices
on their lands has tended to be limited as a result of factors of an economic, social and historical
nature. In view of the interrelationship between the natural environment and its sustainable development and the cultural, social, economic and physical well-being of indigenous people,
national and international efforts to implement environmentally sound and sustainable development
should recognize, accommodate, promote and strengthen the role of indigenous people and their communities. (UNDSD 1992).
One of the “activities” recommended in Chapter 36 is that “Governments should strive to
update or prepare strategies aimed at integrating environment and development as a
crosscutting issue into education at all levels within the next three years” (1992-1995). “This
should be done in cooperation with all sectors of society. The strategies should set out policies
and activities, and identify needs, cost, means and schedules for their implementation, evaluation
and review. A thorough review of curricula should be undertaken to ensure a multidisciplinary
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approach, with environment and development issues and their socio-cultural and demographic
aspects and linkages. Due respect should be given to community-defined needs and diverse
knowledge systems, including science, cultural and social sensitivities” (UNDSD 1992, 36.5b,
Meyers 2007).
To accomplish the strategies of Chapter 26 (indigenous peoples’ empowerment) in
conjunction with Chapter 36 (education), the “state” could initiate programs to empower the
indigenous people populations, who possess the traditional knowledge of environmental
consciousness (e.g. Hawaiians), by engaging them to formulate their own education processes.
To build on this strategy, the inclusion of women in the process fulfils the objective of Chapter
24, which can be further extended to children and youth, the objective of Chapter 25. Overall, the
process becomes an all inclusive community-building participatory process (e.g. the Alberta
public input process outlined in Chapter 7).
Article 14 of the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007), another UN
initiative, also supports the educational empowerment agenda by stating:
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to establish and control their educational systems and
institutions providing education in their own languages, in a manner appropriate to their
cultural methods of teaching and learning.
2. Indigenous individuals, particularly children, have the right to all levels and forms of
education of the State without discrimination.
3. States shall, in conjunction with indigenous peoples, take effective measures, in order for
indigenous individuals, particularly children, including those living outside their
communities, to have access, when possible, to an education in their own culture and
provided in their own language.
Unlike the curriculum development process of the typical school system, which is
primarily engineered by top-down educational administration procedures, with little to no direct
student involvement, this Declaration builds on democratic principles to include the all voices.
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Millennium Development Goals
To add urgency to the call for action of Agenda 21, world leaders met at the Millennium
Summit in 2000 to adopt the United Nations Millennium Declaration which was based on a
decade of UN conferences and summits including some core strategies of Agenda 21. Eight
Millennium Development Goals (MDG) were targeted, including 1) “achieve universal primary
education”, 2) “promote gender equality and empower women”, 3) “ensure environmental
sustainability”, and 4) “global partnership for development”, which are most relevant to the
education agenda.
The objective of Millennium Development Goal 2 (UNESCO 2013) is to make education
increasingly available to everyone to create change. A factor that assists in achieving this goal is
the shift of population growth to urban centers where now over 50% of the world population
resides (WHO 2013). Despite the slum developments associated with urban growth, the overall
urban population tends to have more free time and the best access to schooling. The data related
to the rate of shift from rural to urban dwellers shows that 100 years ago 2 out of 10 people were
urban dwellers and by 2010, 5 of 10 were urban dwellers, and it is predicted 7 of 10 will be
urban dwellers by 2050 (WHO 2013).
Three international Summits for the MDGs (held in 2005, 2008, and 2010) all contributed
toward moving closer to the goals. However, increasing conflict, world financial stress, and
global ecological degradation appear to outweigh the gains toward the MDGs. Increasing access
to education (Goal 2), is viewed as being more attainable through the trend of rising urban
populations. The combination of these factors could be an impetus behind the UN shifting the
focus to the education sector.
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Decade of Education for Sustainable Development
Ten years after the release of Agenda 21, the UN convened the World Summit on
Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, Africa. The Johannesburg Declaration on
Sustainable Development (2002) recommitted to Agenda 21and is supported by the Plan of
Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (2002). At this time there was
little evidence there had been any shift away from the global economic driven paradigm. The
global financial issues that started to dominate the news in 2008, continues to be evidence of the
persisting economic focus. In an effort to address the lack of progress towards a sustainable
development paradigm through the conference and summit venues, the UN recognized
“education is a motor of change” (UNESCO 2005) and declared 2005-2014 as the “Decade of
Education for Sustainable Development”.
UNESCO reinforced that education is the path to a new vision for the world by adding
the goal of meeting “the learning needs of all children, youth and adults by 2015” (UNESCO
2008a). The approach is to instill sustainable values across the school system from early
childhood through the primary, secondary, and higher learning education processes. For
example, the publication The Contribution of Early Childhood Education to a Sustainable
Society (Samuelsson & Kaga 2008) outlines “early childhood education is about laying a sound
intellectual, psychological, emotional, social and physical foundation, it has an enormous
potential in fostering values, attitudes and skills that support sustainable development (UNESCO
2008b).
In a report entitled “Shaping the Education of Tomorrow” (2012), UNESCO published its
findings on the progress that has been made in the first eight years of the “Decade of Education
for Sustainable Development”. This report focuses on analyzing the degree of shift to a
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sustainable development mindset that has been instigated by the UN and associated programs.
The report documents a number of educational models that complement education for
sustainable development. In addition, complementary themes for education for sustainable
development are found in the growing body of literature resurrecting the educational philosophy
of John Dewey, founder of the Laboratory schools (Jackson 1998, Edmondson III 2001, Hohr
2013), the recognition for the need to empower the oppressed (Freire 1970), and understand how
education prepares students to function effectively in a multicultural democratic society (Kelly
1995; Pearl and Knight 1999). The approach is to propagate a democratic process in policy
development that includes the “major groups” who historically have had little involvement. This
approach is acknowledged in Agenda 21 as a cornerstone to achieving sustainable development
(UNESCO 1992).
Key findings included, education for sustainable development (ESD) 1) “is emerging as
the unifying theme for many types of education that focus on different aspects of sustainability”;
2) “is increasingly perceived as a catalyst for innovation in education”; 3) “is often at the heart
of new, creative multi-stakeholder configurations involving these ESD stakeholders (schools,
universities, communities, and the private sector)”; 4) “a co-evolution of pedagogy is occurring
(‘as sustainability content of the curriculum evolves, pedagogy is evolving simultaneously’)”.
More research is needed to establish the link between ESD and “academic gains” and “boosting
people’s capacity to support sustainable development” (UNESCO 2012). The report also has a
cautionary note stating “ESD ....is not evenly implemented across the board” and “countries of
the world need to identify new goals and internally agreed upon processes for moving forward to
confront the educational and sustainability challenges of this century” (UNESCO 2012a).
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Continual growth in the number of UN and worldwide sustainability initiatives has made
researching the concept of sustainable development a full-time endeavor. Such reports as
“Shaping The Education of Tomorrow” (UNESCO 2012a) are supplemented with many other
initiatives instigated under the UN agenda. The 2012 Earth Summit is being tagged as the largest
conference in the history of the UN where governments “renewed their strong political
commitment to sustainable development and to promote integration and coherence of policies
and the implementation of actions in the social, economic and environmental areas” (DESA nd).
Ongoing initiatives such as the UN Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform provide a
wealth of data on the sustainability movement.
UN Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform
An example of the richness of data accessible on one website, the UN Sustainable
Development Knowledge Platform, is a Goggle “Hangout” conference (Feb 12, 2013) discussing
the 2012 Conference of SD Rio + 20 (UNCSD) and follow up initiatives. The “Hangout” is a
live global online broadcast that is accessible to all interested parties. Nikhil Seth, Director of the
UN’s Division for Sustainable Development and Head of the Rio+20 Secretariat started the
“hangout” discussion by describing the 2012 Rio conference as the largest the UN has ever had.
The conference was attended by over 50,000 representatives from government, media, academia,
civil society organizations, and scientists concerned with the economic, social, and
environmental crises facing humanity. The biggest outcome (political) of the conference was an
overall consensus that avoiding the pending global crisis will be accomplished by rethinking
“development”. This message signals that “everyone” in civil society has to engage in rethinking
what development is. The first key message is, people are important, but equally important is the
Planet of which the prosperity of these people depends. Secondly, “young people are the
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architects of the future we want.” The conference assisted in addressing the issues promoting
engagement in every aspect of following up on Rio +20. Key outcomes of the conference were
the need to formulate “sustainable development goals”, which reflect our concerns for the Planet
and the people, and for the UN to work on and find ways to increase youth engagement to bring
them into the dialogue right from the beginning.
Over 1700 voluntary initiatives were also launched in Rio at a congregate cost of over
half a trillion dollars (US). This reflects the depth of the engagement and commitment triggered
by the conference. The “Green Economy” in the context of sustainable development was one of
the tools developed at the conference. The Green Economy means people have to focus on
efficiency, decarbonising the economy, and they need to be inclusive. Therefore the message of
engagement, inclusion and integration in decision making came out very strong giving the UN
direction for follow up. The UN will be giving meaning to these words by how working to focus
on implementing the future we want.
Kimo Goree, Vice-President of the International Institute for Sustainable Development
Reporting Services (IISD) highlighted Dilma Vana Rousseff, Brazil’s President’s observation of
the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) as it being a
demonstration of multilateralism, a legitimate path to build solutions to global problems. Mr.
Goree outlined the history of inclusion of civil society in the UN forums, through allowing non-
government organizations to be involved for the first time in the 1990 preparatory meeting for
the 1992 Earth Summit. As a result, the 2012 conference now builds on 20 years of NGO
involvement. These NGOs are now recognized as key participants involved with the sustainable
development movement. The 2012 conference included over 12,000 registered participants who
attended over 500 official conference events. Over 50,000 people attended over 3000 unofficial
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parallel events associated with the conference. One such event was the World Youth Congress
attended by a delegation (hui) of youth from Hawaiʻi.
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) played an important role
in the Rio +20 conference, providing real-time information of the conference discussions through
the “Earth Negotiations Bulletin”. Side events included Sustainable Development Dialogue
Days, The Rio Convention’s Pavilion, and the UN Environmental Law Conference. The IISD’s
Community Announcement List was distributed to over 6 million recipients, representing
organizations and individuals. This was to inform them of the conference’s proceedings. IISD
tracked reports on the negotiations of the General Assembly and the Open Working Group for the
Sustainable Development Goals as well as the Secondary Committee related to Rio follow up
matters. IISD publishes twice weekly the UNCSD Update which goes to 10,000 readers and is
tracking the follow up of the development of the SDGs.
Jacob Scherr, Director of global strategy and advocacy for the Natural Resources
Defense Council (NRDC), spoke on a number of “game changing” initiatives such as the
worldwide multi-level development banks who committed $175 billion towards urban
transportation. Forty of the largest manufacturers and retailers would make their supply chains
deforestation free in 8 years. Microsoft will make their facilities carbon free by 2014. The
government of Australia will double the size of their marine reserves. There are hundreds of
promises from industries and governments to become more sustainable. NRDC will be tracking
them to hold them accountable. Following their progress will allow assessment, create dialogue,
and discover possible gaps. NRDC is also asking individuals to make commitments and help
hold the movement accountable. Their website and Facebook page are open to all. This will
facilitate holding the promise makers accountable and engaging everyone to help create a new
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architecture for a new world where there is a rapid transition to a sustainable future. The UN
Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform has a full registry list of the promises made at
Rio +20 (DESA 2013). The Special Report of the SD in Action Newsletter (DESA 2013b)
documents the commitments made prior to the newsletter’s release (July 2013-see following
table). A UN Press Release documents 1,382 “pledges” (initiatives) with a value estimated at
$636 Billion (UN 2013).
Table 1 Number of Registered Voluntary Top 20 Sustainable Development Initiatives
(Source: DESA 2013b)
As shown in Table 1, the category labelled “Education” has the highest number of
commitments with most prevalent representation by NGO’s or “Major Groups”. The
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commitment to funding indicates a different picture (Table 2) and Table 3 charts the number of
deliverables that will result from the commitments by the year they are scheduled to be
completed.
Table 2 Top 10 Funded Commitments by Category (Source: DESA 2013b)
Table 3 Distribution of Deliverables of Completion by Year (Source: DESA 2013b)
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An example of a commitment related to “education” is the Aalto University (Finland)
initiative captured by the Institute’s mission that “sets an obligation to promote sustainable
development. Sustainable development is connected to both the university's own work and the
contents of research and teaching. Our intention is to integrate sustainability and responsibility
into all teaching and research by 2015 and be Finland's leading sustainable university campus
in 2020”. They are targeting “research and education for sustainable development”, which
includes sustainability and responsibility in teaching and research; “sustainable campus”. They
intend to be Finland’s leader in having a sustainable campus; and maintain “outreach”, through
disseminating high quality research and instruction via networks, memberships, and partners
(Aalto University 2013). The University claims to be the first Finnish university to join the
International Sustainable Campus Network. This could be a model from which the ULS can
learn.
The commitment registry also is an option for the ULS to submit a commitment and join
the movement (DESA 2013c). The expanding network is also bolstering MDG Goal 8 “Global
Partnership for Development”. The MDG timeline ends in 2015, triggering Member States to
agree to initiate sustainable development goals (SDG) “to pursue focused and coherent action on
sustainable development” (UN General Assembly 2012). According to Dr. Seth, the formulation
of the SDGs is to adopt a bottom up process by including a larger segment of civil society,
shifting away from the top-down procedure used in the development of the MDGs. The SDG
project is steered by the Open Working Group, consisting of 30 members from different nations.
Transparency of the workings of the Group is achieved through the Sustainable Development
Knowledge Platform, where all the activities are posted and accessible to anyone with internet
access (UNSDKP 2014).
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Call for Civil Society Engagement
The UN is presently reaching out to the global society through the initiatives labelled
“The World We Want” (http://www.worldwewant2015.org/post2015-about) and “The Future We
Want” (http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/futurewewant.html). The UN Sustainable
Development Knowledge Platform’s website
(http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?page=view&type=9502&menu=1565&nr=5)
solicits contributions of ideas towards different categories which are tied to the formulation of
the SDGs.
The UN Major Group for Children and Youth website
(http://uncsdchildrenyouth.org/index.html) is open, to individuals and groups consisting of
children and youth under 30 years of age, to submit their input on world issues. It is intended to
attract and capture a wealth of ideas from this “major group”. “The World Children Want” is a
separate website (http://www.worldwewant2015.org/children), catering to girls and boys
between 8 and 18 years of age.
There is the “Women’s Major Group: Creating a just and sustainable future” website
(http://www.womenrio20.org/) dedicated to soliciting input from women. The Girl Effect (Nike
2013) is an example of the corporate world engaging in the UN process as Nike, Inc., the athletic
equipment manufacturer, is working in collaboration with NoVo Foundation, the United Nations
Foundation, and Coalition for Adolescent Girls.
For the indigenous people major group there is not an equivalent website soliciting input,
only websites such as (http://www.tebtebba.org/) that relate different developments in indigenous
interactions.
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Input captured by these incentives, however, is likely to be dominated by the global
population that is faring well in the present economically driven paradigm, as they have internet
access. To capture the outlier demographics of the “major groups”, more specifically youth,
women, and indigenous populations, input has to be stimulated and weighted accordingly to
create equity.
The “neophyte” (King and Brownell 1966) perspective of youth provides society a
vibrant resource to stimulate new knowledge when interacting with “experts”, “leaders”,
“teachers”, “authorities”, or policy developers”. In my teaching experience, the questions or
observations interjected by children and youth have had a profound effect on creating new
perspectives in my area of “expertise”. With the exponential explosion of information, the notion
that teachers continue to stay current with the developments in any discipline of knowledge can
now only be achieved by facilitating a two-way learning environment, where each student acts as
a conduit to the data explosion. Therefore it is important to note where youth movements have
been occurring.
All these websites are loaded with international data and input. These initiatives are
perfect platforms for all schools to align their relevance to the curriculum and engage students to
develop responses to be part of the civil input.
Youth Movements
The other area providing a strengthening of the major group for Children and Youth is
the growing number of organizations that are engaging youth in discussing world issues and
providing venues where youth are attracted from different parts of the world to gather and add
their voice to the dialogue. Since 2001, the UN has been convening the Annual Youth Assembly.
This Assembly spawned the biennial Global Youth Assembly (2007) in Canada. PeaceJam, a
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NGO that facilitates the mentoring of youth by Noble Peace Prize Laureates, is working with
Google to conduct the “One Billion Acts of Peace Campaign” (Engle and Suvanjieff 2013). The
story behind the organization Kids for Saving Earth is an example of the wisdom children
display towards our connection to the welfare of nature. This organization was started by 10
year-old Clinton Hill at the Sunny Hollow Elementary School, a Minnesota Montessori school.
The club was dedicated to peaceful Earth-saving actions; and when Clinton died of cancer at the
age of 11 years, his parents initiated Kids for Saving Earth as a non-profit to carry Clinton’s
dream for a healthy planet into the future (KSE 2013).
Hawaiʻi was the founding host of the first World Youth Congress (1999), an international
forum of youth, held biennially. The World Youth Congress is an example of an international
mix of youth discussing and acting on world issues. A delegation of youth from Hawaiʻi has
attended each subsequent Congress, including the Rio World Youth Congress held in
conjunction with the UNCSD Rio +20 conference. According to two delegates that I have
interviewed, the experience was a life-altering event and has expanded their awareness and
network internationally. However, there is little evidence that the input of their discussions or
ideas have had any influence in policy development at any level. Another Hawaiian youth
organization worth tracking is the Aloha Movement Project (AMP) that is behind initiating
“Education Energy” (e2). E
2’s website provides access to a database interconnecting students and
teachers with businesses and organizations, where students can apply school assignments to real-
world research projects working with organizations the students hold an interest (e2 2013). This
program holds promise for youth empowerment through community development.
To further capitalize on this children/youth resource in stimulating new thought, a highly
effective outreach platform for enhancing their participation could be accomplished through the
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present school system. Due to the global scope and implications of the ESD initiative,
educational development can be enhanced by including an ESD agenda in its process. The
Laboratory Schools could provide a complementary network for the formulation and evaluation
of ESD programs, simply by tapping into its representative population of youth. This network
could operate as an outreach program for engaging children and youth in policy development for
sustainability. Such a role matches the participatory and research roles of the Laboratory
Schools, while building on the UN’s objective to include youth in formulating their own destiny.
Although the curriculum for the ULS stems from a broad spectrum of the community of
disciplines and induces student practical participation to a degree, the first conclusive evidence
of engaging the youth directly into education for sustainable development came in 2009, with the
introduction of “Project Pono”.
“Project Pono students learn about and engage in practices that promote environmental
awareness and cultural and environmental sustainability. Project Pono students teach
themselves and their peers about these topics through identifying their own
environmental interests grounded in Hawaiian values and places, finding or founding
community events that foster environmental and cultural sustainability, and participating
in educational outreach aimed at multiple levels of their school, home, and peer
communities” (ULS 2013).
Participatory Research and Program Development for ESD
New thought paradigms can be created when children and youth express perspectives,
based on their less biased judgement, which in turn alter the thinking pattern of adults. I
experienced this shift of thought pattern whenever Grade 3 students voiced their perspectives
during lessons I taught, as a guest speaker, on the basics of rocks and minerals. Walt Disney,
who was intimately connected with children and youth, stated “our greatest natural resource is
the minds of our children.” Research confirms the genius levels associated with the learning
abilities of children (Robinson 2010) and is recognized as equating them to the “research and
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development department of humanity” (Gopnik 2011). Unfortunately, with age our genius level
drops (Robinson 2010) and on maturity our thought pattern is set, with a tendency to resist new
perspectives. It is this resistance that may be a source of “cognitive dissonance” that could be
acting as an underlying resistance to shift to the envisioned paradigm.
Another factor worth considering is how the dominant education system tends to treat
children and youth as developing individuals, who require knowledge development before they
attain enough credibility to participate in designing their own destiny. This top-down approach is
reversed in the sustainable development agenda, which treats children and youth as equal
participants in developing a sustainable development paradigm. Therefore such participation
could be enlisted in schools by shifting to a bottom-up model by educational institutes. Inclusion
of the ULS children and youth in the ULS campus planning process appears to be a strategy that
would increase student involvement and ownership of their school community development.
Based on my interactions with some of the ULS students, there is little knowledge that the ULS
is embarking on a redevelopment project. I contend that the inclusion of this “major group”
would complement the ULS’s strategy to arrive at a more compatible redevelopment plan for its
major stakeholders and presents an opportunity to test a sustainable development approach.
Starting immediately ULS teachers can establish ways of aligning curriculum with real-
world initiatives under development by directing students to research and reflect on the data
accumulating daily on the vast array of sustainable initiatives. The websites mentioned in this
chapter are good starting points to find links between the daily lessons plans and practical
application, the objective of Education Energy. This approach can be applied to stimulating ideas
that will aid in the construction of sustainable development policies and initiatives for the ULS
itself.
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Along the lines of inducing greater participatory levels of a student body, an earlier study
I conducted suggested different knowledge/research methodologies (described in the following
chapter), have the potential of influencing the development of attitudinal values. From my
observations extending over decades, it appears that the students’ mindset being developed under
the mainstream framework becomes focused on participating at a level where the educational
standards are met primarily to pass into the next grade level or graduate. There was evidence in
the many of the students in a recent undergrad class I assisted with, who expressed a concern on
what material they had to know to pass the course, rather than wanting to know how they could
make the syllabus relate best to their learning objectives. In contrast, a sustainable mindset is
attuned to the application of curricula to real-world situations, along with attaining an
understanding of social-cultural and demographic sensitivities and linkages.
The learning methodology prescribed by the ULS that influences the students’ ability to
participate, appears to be still guided by the philosophy laid out by King and Brownell (1966).
Reflecting on Kuhn’s cautionary advice of questioning assumptions (Chapter 3) when applied to
the present educational paradigm, there could be underlying factors that influence the
development of students’ attitudinal relationships with each other, teachers, administration staff,
family, community, and the environment. Therefore, the knowledge development framework
used in the systematic construction of thought could be a factor as suggested by my earlier study.
The established role of the ULS as a research center makes such an assessment a routine
procedure that may already be under constant surveillance by the Curriculum & Research
Development Group (CRDG). In the scope of my study of the ULS, I did not find any evidence
to suggest such research has been conducted. However, if the knowledge development
methodology is being factored under the CRDG research agenda, a framework specially tailored
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to design programs to induce education for sustainable development (ESD) may take on a
different structure, as suggested in the following chapter.
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Chapter 3: The Culture of Learning and Rationality
"But to tear down a factory or to revolt against a government ...because it is a system is
to attack effects rather than causes; and as long as the attack is upon effects only, no
change is possible. The true system, the real system, is our present construction of
systematic thought itself, rationality itself, and if a factory is torn down but the rationality
which produced it is left standing, then that rationality will simply produce another
factory. If a revolution destroys a systematic government, but the systematic patterns of
thought that produced that government are left intact, then those patterns will repeat
themselves in the succeeding government. There's so much talk about the system. And so
little understanding" - Robert M. Pirsig (my emphasis).
Albert Einstein’s statement “we can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking
we used when we created them” echoes Pirsig’s quote from his book “Zen and the Art of
Motorcycle Maintenance” (1974). Both authors suggest that creating any paradigm for reform,
such as educational reform, requires a new way of thinking. Kuhn (1962) directs us to question
the assumptions behind the theories if problems can no longer be solved under the operating
scientific paradigm. Therefore this chapter conveys an attempt to explore for possible
assumptions underlying our educational policies that may influence the learning outcome. Since
learning is guided by a knowledge development framework, perhaps different frameworks may
influence different outcomes. To test this theory, a comparison is made between four various
frameworks of knowledge development to examine the “construction of systematic thought” and
determine if there is any difference between the “causes” or outcomes in supporting the notion of
sustainability.
In relationship to the ULS’s redevelopment process, the most beneficial framework
would be one that motivates students to become engaged with the planning process at high
participatory and ownership levels. The framework could also encourage systems thinking and
intuitive abilities.
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The Culture of Learning and Rationality
Mr. Pirsig hypothesizes that there is a prevailing thought pattern behind human rationale
created by the “systematic method of thinking”. As a standardized public education system is
the major influence that shapes the rationality of the citizens it produces (Domhaus 2010,
Fogelin 2001, Feinberg & Soltis 2009, Fresco 2011, Cherry 2013, Gallup 2013) many questions
related to education come to mind in light of globalization and the increasing global issues facing
humanity:
Could the dominant economic rationality originate with the mainstream learning
practices, therefore continue to resist progress towards achieving the objectives of
Agenda 21? (e.g. USA’s boycott of 2002 World Summit on Sustainable
Development)
As education spreads into undeveloped countries, will these societies shift their
cultural values to replicate the values associated with the unsustainable
(industrial) paradigm? (e.g. Hawaiian traditional sustainable resource practices
replaced by the western development approach has created an unsustainable
dependency on importing resources)
Does the dominant educational model lead students to question the underlying
assumptions or do people learn to merely become the receptors of information
that causes them to replicate or perpetuate an unsustainable paradigm?
Are standardized tests measuring cognitive development that has the ability to
induce the shift to a sustainable development paradigm or merely reinforcing the
practices that perpetuate the present paradigm?
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To what degree are children influenced to function as responsive, caring, and
cooperative citizens in a democratic society when educated in the competitive
authoritarian environment of the schooling system?
Is the dominant systematic approach to research generating ‘truth’ for everyone’s
reality, or could the knowledge perpetuate a falsehood or an illusion of truth?
Are people educated in an unsustainable or artificial environment less responsive
to conflict-free and sustainable practices?
Which research methodology or knowledge development approach provides the
best framework to design educational reform to transform the global society into a
united, ecological conscious, benevolent, and collaborative community
(sustainable paradigm)?
Knowledge Development Frameworks
Most of the former questions appear to be addressed under a global shift to a sustainable
development paradigm. Addressing the last question may provide clues to assist in guiding the
redevelopment process of the ULS, which in turn would offer a research model to address the
question of understanding the effects of the environment on learning. This section of the paper
reviews four contemporary knowledge development or research methodology frameworks (Table
4) to examine how they relate to Agenda 21 prescriptions for strengthening the role of three
“major groups” (women, children and youth, and indigenous peoples). One aspect conveyed by
the international community related to “strengthening the major groups” is increasing their level
of participation in policy development. The low participation rate of these groups could relate
back to the paradigm shift that occurred in the Neolithic Age where the male’s physical strength
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became a preferred asset to the survival of a community (Eisler 1987). This may be a “cause”
underlying the persisting male-dominated “globalization” rationality.
Therefore, inclusion of these three major groups, at an equitable level, offers an approach
to alter the present rationality. Women possess birthing and nurturing traits (social strength)
(Eisler 1987), indigenous people are recognized to be more attuned with an environmental
sensitivity (environmental strength) (Geertz 1973, Gegeo 1994, Young 1998, Snively &
Corsiglia 2001) and children and youth offer innovativeness from their higher level of genius and
less judgemental perspectives (social strength) (Peel 2013).
The school system offers an effective mode of leverage to engage these three groups to
influence a shift toward a sustainable paradigm. Therefore testing the method of construction of
systematic thought of the education system has a potential to shed light on its influence
associated with participatory levels of these major groups, which in turn can be tested towards
the ULS redevelopment process.
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Neuman (359 p.) Morris (283p.) Kirby et al (257p.) McGaa (274p.)
Foundations: Doing Social Research Positivist paradigm: engagement-entree to the research setting
Why do research? Wisdom through observation Lesson of Eagle
Foundations: Theory and Social research
Positivist paradigm: assessment-development of understanding of the research focus
Where do you stand? Locating the research and the researcher
Find and preserve the medicine Lesson of Bear
Foundations: Ethics in social research Positivist paradigm: planning-rationales for carrying out the research project
Working together Balance in all things Lesson of Lion
Foundations: Reviewing the scholarly literature and planning a study
Positivist paradigm: implementation-gathering the data
Planning the project: developing a research design
One among many Lesson of Wolf
Foundations: Qualitative and Quantitative measurement
Positivist paradigm: evaluation-developing an understanding of the data and its meaning
Planning the project: research ethics and preparing the proposal
Develop intuition Lesson of Orca
Foundations: Qualitative and Quantitative sampling
Positivist paradigm: termination and follow up-reporting on findings and exiting the research setting
Searching the literature Seek truth Lesson of Owl
Conducting Quantitative Research: Survey research
Post Positivist paradigm: assessment and engagement-development of understanding of the research focus and entree to the research setting
Operationalizing the research question
Strive for freedom Lesson of Tiger
Conducting Quantitative Research: Experimental research
Post Positivist paradigm: planning, implementation, evaluation-rationales for gathering data, data gathering, and developing an understanding of the data and its meaning
Developing skills as a data gatherer Heat Lesson of Cottonwood tree – seeking wisdom to deal with global warming
Conducting Quantitative Research: nonreactive research and secondary analysis
Post Positivist paradigm: termination and follow up-reporting on findings and exiting the research and communicating and distributing the findings
Gathering data and data management Thin Lesson of Deer – seeking wisdom to deal with the thinning ozone layer
Conducting Quantitative Research: Analysis of quantitative data
Critical theory: Assessment, engagement, and planning-development of understanding of the research focus, entree to the research setting, rationales for carrying out the research
Analyzing data and reporting Gone Lesson of Buffalo – seeking wisdom to deal with species extinction
Conducting Qualitative Research: Field research
Critical theory: Implementation-gathering data
Conclusions Too many
Lesson of Rat – seeking wisdom to
deal with overpopulation Conducting Qualitative Research: Historical – comparative research
Critical theory: Evaluation-developing an understanding of the data and its meaning
Conducting Qualitative Research: Analysis of qualitative data
Critical theory: Termination and follow up-reporting findings, exiting the research setting, and communication and distribution of research findings
Writing a Research Report Constructivism: Engagement, assessment and planning-entree to the research setting, development of understanding of the research focus, rationales for gathering data Constructivism: Implementation and evaluation-gathering the data and developing an understanding of the data and its meaning
Constructivism: Termination and follow up-reporting on findings, exiting the research setting, communication, and distribution of findings
Cross-Cutting Themes: Ethics, Diversity, and Technology: The ethics and politics of research
Cross-Cutting Themes: Ethics, Diversity, and Technology: the researcher’s responsibility to diversity
Cross-Cutting Themes: Ethics, Diversity, and Technology: the function of technology at each step of the way
Table 4: Framework Comparison of Research Methodologies for Knowledge
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Table 4 provides a simple comparison of four different frameworks of knowledge
development by using the table of contents of each publication. From this comparison,
similarities can be detected between 3 of the frameworks, whereas McGaa’s framework deviates
the most dramatically. The descriptions below assess each framework in more detail.
Basics of Social Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (Neuman 2007).
Accepting that Neuman is defining a mainstream approach to knowledge development, this
review will offer a baseline to compare it to other frameworks. His influences have been his
American education and a background in Asian studies.
To frame the basics of social research, Neuman states:
“..Social research is a process in which people combine a set of principles, outlooks,
and ideas (i.e,, methodology) with a collection of specific practices, techniques, and
strategies (i.e., a method of inquiry) to produce knowledge. It is an exciting process of
discovery, but it requires persistence, personal integrity, tolerance for ambiguity,
interaction with others, and pride in doing quality work.”
Under the heading of “The Three Major Approaches to Social Science”, Neuman also
introduces the concept of multiple or competing paradigms in several fields of social science,
which he claims some researchers find a hindrance to the growth of knowledge. He points out
there is a difference of opinion among social scientists over multiple paradigms and describes
three major paradigms or approaches to social science which affect “how people do social
research studies.” He also indicates there are variations (internal divisions, offshoots, and
extensions) within each of these paradigms.
Neuman states that “positivism” is the method most used in North America. This
originated with the physical sciences. The method assumes “reality is made up of objective facts
that value-free researchers can precisely measure and use statistics to test causal theories”
(Neuman 2007 p.42 my emphasis). Replicating results by collecting quantitative data is the
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focus in the positivist approach. The “interpretative” paradigm is a qualitative assessment of
what is believed to be real. These beliefs can change over time, making social reality “fluid”.
The interpretative researchers “favour interpretative over casual forms of theory” (Neuman 2007
p.43) and “inductive reasoning not bound by laws” (positivism is explained by law-like
principles or nomothetic statements). The objective is to understand how a person views, feels,
and acts (empathetic understanding or verstehen). The “critical” approach assumes that there is
an illusionary surface that is not reality and calls for action to advance social change through
theory and deeper analyses (Neuman 2007 p.44).
Neuman refers to Thomas Kuhn’s (1962) criticism on science:
“that the way science develops in a specific field across time is based on researchers
sharing a general approach or paradigm. A paradigm is an integrated set of
assumptions, beliefs, models of doing good research, and techniques for gathering and
analyzing data. It organizes core ideas, theoretical frameworks, and research methods.
Kuhn observed that scientific fields tend to be held together around a paradigm for a
long period of time. Very few researchers question the paradigm, and most focus on
operating within its general boundaries to accumulate new knowledge.” On rare
occasions in history, intellectual difficulties increase, unexpected issues grow, and
troubling concerns over proper methods multiply. Slowly, the members of a scientific
field shift in how they see things and switch to a new paradigm. Once the new paradigm
becomes fully established and widely adopted, the process of accumulating knowledge
begins anew.” (my emphasis)
Kuhn’s idea also reflects Einstein’s and Pirsig’s descriptions of change (paradigm=rationality)
which only happens if there is a need to shift to a new perspective (effect to cause), such as the
conscious paradigm shift Agenda 21 calls for.
Neuman delineates a seven step research process. Each step is tied to theory as shown in
Figure 1. Neuman defines social theory “as a system of interconnected abstractions or ideas that
condenses and organizes knowledge about the social world.” He lists Durkheim, Weber, Marx,
and Tonnies as examples of classical social theorists that “laid the foundation for subsequent
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April 2014 R. Don Peel 39
generations of social thinkers”. He also states these classical theorists are “rare” innovative
“geniuses”. Neuman states true “serious social theory” takes many years of empirical tests,
conducted and debated by “dozens of researchers” to be considered theory.
Figure 1 – Steps in Research Process (Neuman 2007)
As Figure 1 suggests, Neuman contends that “almost all research involves some theory”... and it
comes down to the matter of “how you should use it”.
To explain theory, Neuman follows the traditional scientific path of breaking down a
system into components. He explains that “all theories contain concepts, and concepts are the
building blocks of theory”. He directs readers to refer to Chafetz, Hage, Kaplan, Mullins,
Reynolds, and Stinhcombe for further information. He also states “social theory requires well-
defined concepts” and “a valuable goal of exploratory research, and most good research, is to
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clarify and refine concepts.” He describes concepts under the categories of “concept clusters”,
“classification concepts”, “scope”, “assumptions”, and “relationships”.
Neuman then describes the “aspects of theory” as “baffling” since theory comes in many
forms (not conducive to linear thought processes). To simplify the understanding of theory
Neuman constructs a linear and hierarchical description under the following categories:
1) The direction of its reasoning,
2) The level of social reality that it explains,
3) The forms of explanation it employs, and
4) The overall framework of assumptions and concepts in which it is embedded.
Under the direction of reasoning, deductive and inductive are the two basic directions of
reasoning.
Neuman’s categorizing theory, then divides the levels of social reality into micro, meso,
and macro levels of theory depending on the size of the system being studied (Neuman 2007
p.33-34). To add another layer of complexity of theory, it is divided into forms of explanation
differentiated as “prediction and explanation”, “casual explanation”, “structural explanation”,
and “interpretative explanation” (Neuman 2007 p.34-40). Although Neuman does not mention
or qualify interpretative explanation when it comes to language translation, which is considered a
major factor (Young 1998 p.16), he does expose the effect on interpretation that occurs due to
differing disciplinary or functionality perspectives (corporate managers converting legal ideas,
terms, and concepts to fit their organizational setting - p.41).
The overview of this mainstream framework, besides being “baffling”, does not appear to
be applicable for a society seeking transition given Neuman’s qualification that “serious social
theory” takes many years of empirical tests confined to “dozens of researchers” to be considered
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theory, especially when he qualifies the very nature of society as “fluid”. Without any reference
to include the missing cultural and demographics identified by Agenda 21 in the research body
(“dozens of researchers”), or elsewhere in the publication, this framework does not appear to
offer measures to broaden participatory parameters. In addition, an assessment of the referenced
material of this publication indicates a predominant male influenced construction.
Social Work Research Methods: Four alternative paradigms (Morris 2006) This
publication has been included in the review as it appears to meet the objective of “strengthening
the role of major groups” of Agenda 21 (Chapters 24 and 25) by including American feminine
and youth perspectives (reflected by her reference material). Morris’s exposure to Hawaiian
culture through her years at the University of Hawaiʻi may have influenced her research
methods.
Teresa Morris (2006) departs from Neuman’s “three major approaches” as she borrows
Guba’s (1990) (education researcher) “positivism”, “post-positivism”, “critical theory”, and
“constructivism” paradigm categorization to compare the processes of each paradigm. She
contends that research methods evolve with time and emphasizes there is a need to include
alternative approaches to the common (positivist) approach. This is to expand to a world-wide
perspective.
She emphasizes “that studies addressing social work practice confront ethical problems
regarding withholding service to control groups, practical problems associated with random
assignment of human beings to experimental and control groups, and methodological problems
concerning the application of findings derived from a controlled experiment to the hurly burly
world of social work practice” (Morris p. xiv). She also points out variations in the literature of
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determining causality, emphasizing that “we will never be able to accurately address causality
with people in real world setting” (Lincoln and Guba 1985).
Morris (2006) points out that the education system does not emphasize the importance of
developing penetrating questions. Polluck concurs with this view that illiteracy begins with the
inadequacies of the educational system in the U.S.A, where the natural curiosity of a child is
replaced by “a recitation of accomplishment. Science is presented as answers rather than
questions”. In other words, the pedagogy of primarily information transfer, filling students with
facts to answer questions (standardized tests), causes the production of scholars who lack the
ability to ask questions sparked by an inquisitive mind. At the university level, science students
“learn a lot about how, but little about why” (Polluck 2003). This approach definitely restricts
students’ participation level as they become more receptors of knowledge rather than engaged as
interactive learners.
Morris also indicates that a great deal of research has been ineffective due to the tendency
to spend inadequate time developing critical questions. She attributes this flaw to how the
techniques of research are taught. She also views that social work research requires much more
innovative approaches in view of the diversity social science faces. By detailing each paradigm,
she believes that her book will offer “the conceptual clarity to link different worldviews with
different research questions requiring methodologies, achieving different goals when
researching social work practice at the micro and macro levels of human organization.”
Morris also justifies her approach by explaining the need to evolve research practice to
take on a worldwide perspective and adapt with time. As she explains “positivism can test
causal and correlational theories, but post-positivism can build theory and critical theory can
promote action to address social injustice...constructivism offers the tools to comprehend and act
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on subjective knowledge and understanding” (Morris p. xi). She also relates the fact that most
social work texts convey the positivist paradigm for doing scientific research, even though the
assumptions of the methodology are not proven. This echoes Kuhn’s observation that few
researchers question the assumptions a paradigm operates on.
Morris’s framework does appear to be fashioned from a wider perspective when
comparing her referenced authors to Neuman’s. The participatory parameters are expanded
through the objective of the framework to take on worldwide and alternative perspectives. Her
claim that more time is needed to develop more critical questions places more of a demand to
heighten the participatory level.
Experience Research Social Change: Methods beyond the mainstream (Kirby et al
2006). Sandra Kirby, Chair of the Department of Sociology, University of Winnipeg; Lorraine
Greaves, Director, British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health; and Colleen
Reid, postdoctoral fellow at Simon Fraser University and research associate at the BC Centre of
Excellence for Women’s Health describe a research methodology “beyond the mainstream” and
deviate from the other mainstream scholarly publications by specifying the need to question “the
monopoly that certain powerful groups hold over information” (Kirby p. 15). In addition, the
bibliography is mainly made up of indigenous knowledge and feminine references. These
aspects meet the objective of “strengthening the role of major groups” of Agenda 21 (Chapters
24, 25, and 26).
The publication highlights the transformation happening in social structures that are
being reflected in the shift in the choices of research areas, methodologies, processes, and modes
of knowledge transfer. It brings forth the notion that most people “have been excluded from
participating in, describing and analyzing our own understanding of realty”.... “research that
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does not reflect on and analyze the social context from which it springs serves only the status
quo and does not enable us to interact with and change society” (Kirby 1989 p. 16)
......“research and knowledge are produced in a manner which represents the political and social
interests of a particular group....research has often been a tool of domination which has helped
perpetuate and maintain current power relations of inequality. Too often the experts who do the
research have been well trained in patterns of thinking which not only conflict with their
understanding, but explain and justify a world many are actually interested in changing” (Kirby
1989 p. 17).
Kirby et al concur with the “critical theorist” and “constructivist” approaches described
by Morris, detailing the need to establish the worldwide view by empowering the oppressed and
challenging the underlying assumptions. This approach “attacks” the “cause” in the Pirsigian
view and is the key objective of Agenda 21’s “strengthening the role of majority groups”
(women, children and youth, and indigenous peoples).
Kirby et al. frame two interrelated research processes. One which requires “an authentic
dialogue between all participants in the research process in which all are respected as equally
knowing subjects.” The other process is a critical reflection on the participants’ social reality
(Kirby et. al. 2006 p. 7).
This framework is specific to broadening the participation parameters, specifically to
those outside of the influential segments of society.
Nature’s Way: Native Wisdom for Living in Balance With the Earth (McGaa 2004)
McGaa’s publication has been included as a perspective well-grounded in traditional
indigenous knowledge. It should therefore relate to strengthening the indigenous orientated
perspective of Agenda 21, referenced in Chapter 26. Even though McGaa has been educated on
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a regular schooling path, he has stayed involved in traditional cultural ceremonies. His research
methodology framework may present a unique perspective in comparison to the mainstream and
the other “western” alternative approaches.
McGaa’s framework reflects the development of intertwined knowledge from detailed
observation of the natural world by the senses, intuitive powers, and understanding the inter-
connectiveness of nature, as the source of truth.
The phenomenon of cognitive dissonance is addressed by McGaa’s approach through
reconnection to the natural laws and the development of intuitive abilities. He criticises
international economic competitiveness, where nations strive to compete through the educational
process. The “lesson of wolf”, “one among many”, addresses the need of all nations to work
together as equals, toward collectively finding ways for global survival. This lesson is strongly
reflected in the formulation of Agenda 21, which is the result of intensive international
rationality and collaboration. McGaa’s approach also addresses the four key international issues
(climate change, ozone depletion leading to increased radiation levels, species extinction, and
over population), which ultimately impact human survival.
This framework also expands the participatory parameters to a worldwide process
addressing inclusivity, a consideration not highlighted in Neuman’s mainstream approach.
Research Methodology Influence on Knowledge Development for ESD
This comparison of the four research methodologies supports my hypothesis that there is
a potential that the knowledge development framework has an influence on the educational
paradigm. The level of participation appears to be a dependent variable. Neuman also supports
this notion by elaborating on how social science theory poses challenges in providing a clear
path to establish sound rationality. One of the problematic areas he mentions is that the
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mainstream approach has borrowed much from the physical sciences framework. His description
of the varying opinions within the field by “geniuses”, who he refers to and are all male, does not
address a need to broaden the participatory level as a strategy to adjust the framework. Taking
into consideration the “fluid” aspect of social parameters and the call for a paradigm shift by the
international community, it becomes questionable if the mainstream framework will “cause”
learning outcomes required to shift to a new paradigm.
The apparent dominant male perspective of the mainstream framework could be a reason
that the frameworks described by the two publications, authored by females, bring out different
perspectives. These perspectives highlight the importance of establishing a broader participatory
approach for knowledge development. Morris emphasizes the need to establish a critical
approach to understand the “why”, while Kirby et al. emphasize the need to establish inclusive
equity in knowledge development as it is now based on the power structure that, dictates the
research agendas. Kirby also echoes Pirsig’s view of experts tending to resist progressive change
through their fixed thought patterns. In comparison to Neuman, it becomes apparent that the
Morris and Kirby et al. frameworks are more conducive towards an ESD through inducing
higher levels of participation.
McGaa’s framework is a radical divergence from the other three frameworks,
emphasizing knowledge development’s connection with nature and offering direct ways for
knowledge development to respond to four global issues (climate change, ozone depletion,
species extinction, and overpopulation). He offers the only framework that recognizes the role of
intuition in knowledge development, which has a link to the rising popularity of “mindfulness”
training for teachers. As his influence stems from traditional indigenous values, this framework
does appear to stimulate a sustainable mindset. The well-known Hawaiian navigator Nainoa
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Thompson (2014) captures the relevance of intuition in his experience of open-ocean navigating
when there is no intellectual guidance. This appears to be a traditional Hawaiian value that is
diminished in the mainstream framework that is strictly focused on intellectual development.
The intuitive aspect triggers a need to briefly mention the influence of “mindfulness” training as
a method to usher in the sustainable development paradigm (Siegel 2012). Such an approach has
the potential to induce higher levels of participation due to the increased amount of reflection
(assessment related to self-actualization) involved.
Cognitive Development and Meditation
An area related to cognitive development that has been researched for decades is now
becoming a recognized practice to increase levels of concentration and comprehension. This is
the art of meditation. UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center is one of the university
departments offering training in “Mindfulness Awareness Practices (MAPs)” (Siegel 2012). The
research associated with the meditation practice is extensive and is mentioned here because of
McGaa’s reference on intuitiveness, an attribute associated with meditation. In addition, one of
the ULS teachers has been trained to incorporate the mindfulness practice into the ULS’s
curriculum (Faure 2013). Assessment of the mindfulness approach is also a facet that can be
studied under the ULS research scrutiny.
Knowledge Development Implications for the ULS
This examination of four frameworks suggests that different frameworks can influence
learning outcomes. It appears that the King/Brownell framework (1966) still guides the ULS
curricula. Their 1966 publication also recognized that the fluid state of society will place shifting
and competing demands on the educational process. Due to these factors they stated that
curriculum development should be guided by the core disciplines, free from influential interest
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groups. Engaging students in developing the curriculum while they learn in an environment of
“liberal education” is an approach to counter such external influences (King & Brownell 1966).
This approach echoes Dewey’s education model of allowing children and youth to learn from
their interactions as a community while providing an avenue to express and share their vision
with the community. This is the basic approach being followed by the UN to create a sustainable
development paradigm; a deliberate move to replace the dominant influence with a more
equitable approach in formulating a vision of a future global community.
This cursory analysis on research methodologies does suggest that the outcomes of
knowledge development can be influenced by the framework guiding it. Therefore one
framework maybe better suited for creating a sustainable mindset. This would be an important
aspect if there is a concerted effort to include the ULS students in the redevelopment process. In
addition, the ULS’s scope of research could be expanded to assess frameworks, employed at
various levels of child development from the early stage to preparing teenagers for the work
force or higher education, which induce a sustainable mindset to prepare the students and
teachers to effectively engage in the redevelopment process and the community beyond.
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Chapter 4: The Sustainability Movement
“While we can draw upon experiences of the past to solve the problems of today and tomorrow,
the reality is that citizens of the world will have the task of learning their way towards
sustainability. Education is therefore central to learning and to a more sustainable future.”
(UNESCO, 2012b)
The Green School Movement
Another factor effecting knowledge development is the learning environment. The trend
of society becoming increasingly insensitive to the environment through living in urban settings
is being countered by increasing the interaction of children and youth with nature. Schools are
reconnecting students and nature through field trips. More ambitious efforts are made by
designing schools to adopt settings that mimic the natural environment. There appears to be a
correlation between the timing and intensity of UN sustainability programs and the beginning of
and the number of schools that are adopting green agendas. This has cultivated a “green school
movement” (U.S. Department of Education 2012). Part of the motivation is to reduce energy
costs associated with aging schools, but more importantly it is to enhance the overall learning
environment. The ULS’s redevelopment project can capitalize on learning from the burgeoning
school projects that have employed technological advances and designs to reduce the carbon
footprint, while making the school environment conducive to high learning performance. In
addition, the Federal Government, down to individuals, are supporting the movement in a variety
of ways.
Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education has emphasized the importance of the
inclusion of environmental literacy as part of the 21st Century school curriculum (U.S.
Department of Education 2012). To add an incentive for adopting a green school agenda, the
Department has instigated the “Green Ribbon Schools” award “to identify and disseminate
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knowledge about practices that are proven to result in improved student engagement, higher
academic achievement and graduation rates, and workforce preparedness, as well as a
government wide goal of increasing energy independence and economic security” (U.S.
Department of Education 2013).
As an illustration, the Green School in Bali that I visited in 2009 has received an award as
“the greenest school on Earth” by USGBC (2012). The Green School’s vision “is of a natural,
holistic, student-centered learning environment that empowers and inspires our students to be
creative, innovative, green leaders” (Green School 2013), while operating with the lowest
carbon footprint possible.
Photo 1 Energy Consumption & Sustainable Constructed Facilities – Green School Bali
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Photos 2 Low Energy Consumption & Sustainable Constructed Facilities – Green School Bali
Hawaiʻi has made some progress towards integrating sustainability practices into
educational institutions. On the Big Island, the Hawaii Preparatory Academy (recipient of 2012
U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Award) constructed the “Energy Lab” and
West Hawaii Explorations Academy (WHEA) is an outdoor experiential school that is graduating
motivated students focused on real world issues. Their motto is “no child left indoors”.
On Oahu, many schools are adopting a green agenda in different forms by working with
various NGOs (e.g. Forward Foundation nd, The Green House (FS) – Oahu Resource &
Conservation Development Council nd) to growing gardens (Kōhua Hawaiʻi Foundation 2013).
Punahou School, Ewa Makai Middle School (recipient of 2012 U.S. Department of Education
Green Ribbon Schools Award), and Hawaii Baptist Academy Middle School have moved
towards increased sustainability by constructing campus facilities that meet the LEED
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(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards. The latest Oahu addition, “The
School for Examining the Essential Questions on Sustainability” (SEEQS), opened August 2013
with a learning agenda reflecting Dewey’s participatory experiential learning style.
Photo 3 Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy Energy Lab
These developments are being monitored by the Green School Advocacy Committee of
the USGBC, Hawaiʻi Chapter, which held the First Green School Symposium in 2009. The
movement has also been fueled by the Sustainable Endowments Institute (2005) which has been
assessing and rating (College Sustainability Report Card) the progress of colleges and
universities towards operating sustainable campus operations. The US Federal Government has
initiated the Green Ribbon Schools program (Ed.gov 2013) to promote the importance of the
green school movement to educational reform. This is reflected in Arne Duncan’s, US Secretary
of Education, remarks at a conference in 2012 (Duncan 2012).
In addition, there is growing support in the green school movement through programs
such as the Kokua Hawaii Foundation’s ʻAina in Schools Program (2006), the Hawaiʻi
Environmental Education Alliance‘s Hawaiʻi Environmental Literacy Plan (HELP).
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Laboratory Schools as a Catalyst toward Education for Sustainable Development
(ESD)
To add a strong scientific foundation to the green school movement, I contend that the
Laboratory Schools can be an essential catalyst in developing and employing the most effective
sustainability curriculum through their research and participatory functions. “Laboratory
Schools” have an extensive history of creating educational reform starting with the Dewey’s
Laboratory School established at the University of Chicago. Lab schools have evolved to
develop and assess educational tools and methodologies geared to improve education and teacher
training (Hunter 1970, IALS 2012, Provenzoi Jr. 1979). According to the National Association
of Laboratory Schools (NALS) publication “Laboratory Schools: An Educational Resource”
(1991) there were 98 laboratory schools operating within the US in the year of publication. This
was a drop from the over 200 operating in 1964. The publication makes the argument that for the
lab schools to survive in an environment of diminishing resources, they have been advised to
adopt “concentrations on experimentation, research and development, or other emerging areas
of service” (NALS 1991 p.ix). Arthur King Jr., is one of the contributing authors who in his
chapter outlines the advantages of lab schools being associated with a university, while
continuing to have “flexibility, immunity from rule setting boards and bureaucracies, and the
encouragement to take unusual risks” (NALS 1991 p.167). King, along with 7 other
representatives from different lab schools, predicted that “the innovative and competent among
university-based schools will succeed to the degree that they respond creatively to the
nationwide demand for educational improvement” (NALS 1991 p. xi).
The NALS transformed into the International Association of Laboratory and University
Affiliated Schools (IALS) to include an international membership of “campus-based schools, and
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others with diverse university affiliations, such as charter schools, professional development
schools, child study institutes, research and development schools, etc” (IALS 2013). According
to IALS’s website in 2013 there were 35 member schools, with a notable absences of the ULS
and University of Chicago Laboratory School.
The Chicago Laboratory School has influenced the learning environment through
structural design. They opened the doors of their newly constructed early childhood facility (Earl
Shapiro Hall-Photos 4/5) for the 2013 fall school session; a facility that has been specifically
designed to facilitate a Dewey educational model of “emphasizing children’s ability to teach
themselves through flexible interactions with their classmates, teachers, and environment”
(Alessio 2013). The only other reference to a sustainability design factor of the facility in
Alessio’s article refers to all the nursery classrooms having “direct outdoor access”.
Photos 4 University Laboratory School Chicago Early Childhood Building
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Photos 5 University Laboratory School Chicago Early Childhood Building
ESD offers a new function to focus the ULS research agenda. This also offers an unprecedented
opportunity to develop a learning designed environment for the University Laboratory School
(ULS) whose aging structures are deteriorating and ready for renovations. The strong reputation
that the ULS has built as an educational research center merits a campus renovation equal to that
reputation. In consideration of the research needs being called for to develop ESD programs, its
reputation can be used as leverage to construct the most sustainable designed campus possible.
University Laboratory School: A Built Reputation of Leadership in Education Reform
To gain an appreciation of the uniqueness of the ULS and its importance in becoming an
ESD research institution, it is beneficial to review the school’s history. The beginnings of the
ULS date back to 1895 as a teacher training department in the Honolulu High School (Central
Intermediate High), until it moved and was called the Honolulu Normal and Training School in
1896. Another move and name change occurred in 1905 after Hawaiʻi was annexed as a territory
of the US and became the Territorial Normal and Training School. In 1930, the School moved to
its present campus location adjoining the UHM campus. Wist Hall and Wist Hall Annex 1 were
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the first structures on the 15 acres of land (once a pig farm). These facilities were built in 1939.
Construction of Castle Memorial Hall, a training center for kindergarten and nursery teachers,
occurred in 1941. The Castle Memorial Hall is named after the Castle family which contributed
toward introducing John Dewey’s educational philosophy to Hawaiʻi. The family worked with
Dr. Dewey to build the Hall modeled from the University of Chicago Laboratory School. Castle
Memorial Hall, even though built in the 1940s, is the only building on the UHM campus, besides
the Energy House, that actually employs an architectural design using natural air flow to cool the
building (Meder 2013). The high school component was housed in the University High School
Building 1 (UHS1 built 1943). Upon completion of ULB 2 in 1948, the school offered a
complete K-12 curriculum. The later addition of UHB 3 (1957) and the Multipurpose Building
(1963) modernized the campus to a degree.
The fact of three separate laboratory schools operating as teacher training facilities came
under question in the early 1960s, as they appeared to duplicate the training role occurring in the
public schools. Acting on the recommendation of a 1965 study on the training schools, headed
by Lindley Stiles, a national leader in educational research, the role of the schools shifted to
educational research. Under this organizational change, the three laboratory schools
(preschool/primary, elementary, and secondary) were placed under one principal, with a single
budget, and the student population was reduced from 900 students to 365 as new staff were
recruited to take on teacher-researcher roles. Arthur R. King, Jr. became the founding Director of
the University Laboratory School (ULS). This role shift proved to be an action that perpetuated
the existence of the ULS when many Laboratory Schools found themselves obsolete as public
schools took on the teacher training role.
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In 1966, the final “permanent” building was added to the campus (see Figure 1) with the
completion of Wist Hall Annex 2 (University Ave. Annexes, Figure 1). Annex 2 served as the
Hawaiʻi Curriculum Center in partnership with the Hawaiʻi Department of Education and the
University of Hawaiʻi. This partnership was triggered by “a large continuing grant from the Title
III (education innovation) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act” (NALS 1991 p. 73).
The partnership led to the ULS becoming an organizational success story. The role of the
Center evolved into developing curriculum and materials for schools of the State, based on
research data generated by using the ULS p – 12 students as a control group. While modelling
itself on the Dewey education paradigm, King employed the “theory that each of the disciplines
of knowledge had its own mode of inquiry, specialized language, heritage of literature and
artifacts, and traditions, and that the community of scholars these domains created should be the
basis for liberal and general education” (COE 2012). This conversion to a research and
curriculum development facility occurred at a time to take advantage of the Federal
Government’s supplemental funding towards creating a new paradigm in education, a component
of President Johnson’s “Great Society” program, ‘as well as “big project” development
programs in science, mathematics, and social sciences were in full swing’ (NALS 1991 p.73). In
1969, the Curriculum Research & Development Group (CRDG) was formed to become a unit of
the College of Education (Sanborn and O’Harrow nd).
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Figure 2 ULS Campus including the College of Education (Everly and Wist Halls)
Curriculum Research & Development Group (CRDG)
The research methodology proposed by King and Brownell (1966) allows an unbiased
scholarly approach to curriculum development that is normally subjected to political, religious,
special interests, and corporate influences. The ULS’s affiliation with the University provided a
conduit for all the disciplines to aid in curricula development. It was estimated that by 2000 over
600 university faculty across all the disciplines had contributed to developing curricula in a
variety of CRDG projects. Working relationships with the ULS extend internationally. Over
7000 schools in 44 states participated in using CRDG programs along with establishing
partnerships with 16 mainland universities “who serve as centers disseminating and adapting
CRDG programs in their service areas” (King 2000). The conditions that are associated with the
success of the ULS are:
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“The CRDG has received predictable, long-term support.”
“The CRDG has benefited from its allocation of permanent university positions,
enabling it to build a core staff of career professionals.”
“The CRDG’s endeavors benefit from its affiliation with the university.”
“The CRDG’s work is grounded in a sound and internally consistent theory for
guiding curriculum development.”
“The CRDG began small, developing curriculum for the state’s schools.”
“The CRDG has allowed ample time for development, trials, and revisions.”
“The CRDG has found its dedicated laboratory school vital to its mission.”
“The CRDG has been able to learn from the mistakes of other curriculum
pioneers.”
“The CRDG has a number of independent projects.”
“The CRDG has the capacity to adapt to changing standards and conditions,
adding new tasks and adapting existing ones to achieve its goals” (King 2000).
Missing from King’s 2000 assessment of success is the link to the community, which he
attributed as a key element in his 1967 article describing the new multifaceted role of teacher-
researcher that was spawned from the creation of the CRDG (King 1967). In the article he stated,
“The strength of the Center lies in a structure which bridges the University, the schools, and the
community.”
Despite this success story built on the combination of Dewey’s educational model with
“an experiment based on the curriculum theory of King and Brownell (1966) and dedicated to
the research and development of disciplinary curriculum that provides a rich liberal arts
education for all students K–12”, poor native Hawaiian’s educational performance in the State
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persists. This aspect contradicts history which reflects that the Hawaiians were a highly
intelligent society; especially in how fast they attained a high rate of literacy when English was
introduced (Chun 2006). Therefore, the previously mentioned role of researching knowledge
development frameworks to design programs for ESD is pertinent here. Developing educational
supplements required by native Hawaiians to boost their performance to that of a ULS student
may prove to be a required element of ESD to address the international indigenous peoples’
education performance issue. A more obvious missing requirement of the ULS, an ESD program
developer, is the need to house the students in sustainable buildings that induce high learning
productivity and reflect the indigenous culture.
ULS Campus Rejuvenation Project: Research and Program Development for ESD
On my first observation of the ULS campus, I discovered that it consisted of aging
buildings whose design was incompatible with taking advantage of the Hawaiian environment.
There is therefore great potential for transforming it to a “green” infrastructure, which can
magnetize eager students into interactive classrooms, designed to take advantage of the natural
environment by using natural air flow and lighting. These aging structures, including the Castle
Memorial Hall, have been in need of renovations dating back to the 1990s. A new building was
to be erected, until it the discovery of an accounting error wiped out the means of financing the
project (Young 2009).
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Photo 6 ULS Campus 2004 (prior to fire-view is 900 counter clockwise from Figure 2).
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Photo 7 ULS Campus 2007 (after fire)
Photo 8 ULS Campus 2013
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There is a growing consensus that learning in an environment of sustainability will have a
higher success of cultivating a sustainable mindset (Hardy, 2010) when a total campus redesign
and retrofit is undertaken. The transformation can address Hawaiʻi’s statewide need to replace its
costly and unsustainable dependency on imported oil and coal with energy generation.
Considerations of options for operating a green school “off grid”, along with all the latest
developments in sustainable options would be an obvious agenda for any renovation design
process for a research facility such as the ULS. (A ULS redevelopment assessment included
connecting the ULS to the UH Manoa power grid at a cost of $150,000, Young 2009).
Photo 9 Castle Memorial Hall (north side – fake chimney – western influence?)
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Photo 10 Central Hallway Castle Memorial Hall (looking south)
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Photo 11 Castle Memorial Hall Lanai (notice lights on in well lit area-unnecessary energy consumption)
Photo 12 High School (ULS Building 3)
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Photo 13 High School Classroom Building 3
Photo 14 High School Lanai
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Photo 15 Multi-Purpose Building (looking west)
Photo 16 Multi-Purpose Building (see Appendix B for additional photos)
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The preceding pictures taken October, 2013 capture many unsustainable practices and
features that can be addressed in operational and redesign applications to the campus. An
example of an unsustainable practice is the noticeable unnecessary use of electricity (lights) in
the face of the rising energy bills, which the Mānoa Chancellor, Dr. Apple, has stated he loses
sleep over (Apple 2013). The buildings are not constructed to take full advantage of air flows or
to bring natural light into the structures. UHM is pushing to construct off grid buildings
(Kuykendell Building is to be the first) (Meder 2013). The ULS is a research institution which
can lead by example. Therefore such considerations at the ULS are elementary to any
redevelopment scheme for this campus. To further evaluate the facilities, ULS students
conducted and environmental audit.
Environmental Audit of the ULS Facilities
An environmental audit of some of the ULS facilities was conducted with the
involvement of Project Pono students. Based on the objectives of this elective course, the
students mainly consist of seniors who are interested in the subject of environmental science.
Due to this factor these students make good candidates to carry out such an audit.
The audit was carried out during their daily Project Pono class session, 11:20 am until
noon, between February 3rd
and 24th
, 2014. Measurements using the PYLE PSPL41 Multi-
Function Environment Meter recorded the levels of light, sound, temperature, and relative
humidity within the classrooms and offices in the various buildings (Building 3, Castle Memorial
Hall, and the portables). Each of the 15 students took turns in operating the instrument and
recording data. The status of the facilities was also captured by photographs of each space during
the audit measurement sessions. The data results and photographs of the audit are in Appendix
B. The students and teacher are also designing surveys to be sent to all the ULS students and
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faculty, to gauge the satisfaction level with the ULS learning environment and solicit ideas for
redeveloping a sustainable campus.
According to ULS students and staff we talked to during the audit period, the conditions
we measured were not indicative of the higher temperature conditions, which tend to be
uncomfortably hot. Overall, classrooms in east-west orientated wings, with north and south walls
consisting of windows, have good air circulation that keeps the temperature factor at a
comfortable level. The classrooms having windows on the east side, in the wings orientated
north-south, have less air flow, but felt comfortable at the time of the audit. In Building 3, the
administration offices are in the wing that has less airflow. Any cross airflow is reduced by a row
of tall bushes spanning across the east wall (Photo 12). A staff person indicated that the General
Office gets extremely hot even if there are strong breezes, due to the orientation of the windows
in relationship to the prevailing outside airflow. Castle Memorial Hall’s east-west orientated
wings (windows on north and south facing walls) also offer better lighting and air circulation
than the portions of the Hall that had windows on the east or west facing walls in the north-south
orientated wing. One staff indicated her office, located in the middle of the Hall, becomes
“unbearable” in hot spells, even with the use of a portable air conditioner. The portables were the
least effective in taking advantage of the natural climatic and lighting factors, with limited
windows and ventilation. As a result, the portables have to be air-conditioned and lit whenever
sessions are conducted in them. The portable having a restroom had a strong unpleasant odor
during our audit. One of the students indicated the smell may be due to the air conditioning not
operating, since no class was in session at the time of our audit.
This elementary audit indicated which structural design takes advantage of the local
attributes to facilitate a comfortable learning environment and captured some practices that are
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adding unnecessary energy consumption. A prime example of a building design that does not
maximize the use of the prevailing northerly airflow for cooling the interior is the Multi-purpose
Building that has a row of doors (usually open for air circulation) orientated to open to the east.
Changing habits can lead to significant costs savings. It appears lights in classrooms and offices
were in use habitually, as they remained on even when there was sufficient natural light or when
the room was vacated (C&RDG offices were vacant for lengthy periods of time). Some of the
over lit rooms could be de-lamped to bring the light intensity levels down to the standard set by
the State regulator. This will save money without any added operational costs.
Photo 17 Over-lit room in Multipurpose Building
The energy draw created by air conditioners is limited in Building 3 and Castle Memorial
Hall as only a few offices and the conference room had window units, but are likely only needed
in times of high outside air temperatures due to the lack of ventilation. Ways of increasing
natural air flow in the north-south orientated wing of Building 3 could be achieved by replacing
the bushes with trees with branches that provide shade over the window while deflecting the
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airflow into the windows. The portables, the most modern structures (2006), are the heaviest
energy consumers as during the audit of a class in session, a large air-condition unit was on, even
though the outside temperature was moderate to being on the cool side. The few windows in the
portables make it necessary to have the lights on during class sessions.
The campus spaces surrounding the buildings provide another opportunity to have garden
plots for teaching science and peace education. Project Pono class maintains a hydroponics
system in Building 3’s courtyard. A private organization has offered funding to create and
maintain a peace garden on ULS campus (Tomita 2014). The planning process should include
such considerations thus be reflected in the designing process to include such things like water
catchment systems for irrigation purposes in the dry periods.
Interjecting additional practices and designing features that could be adopted by the ULS
redevelopment plan could be achieved through a ULS stakeholder process. The ULS students,
teachers, administrators, and facility maintenance staff are the best sources of ideas for designing
a dream school. The students can be exposed too many disciplines where the direction can be
guided by sustainable practices. If the Green School of Bali, located in a similar but hotter zone
than the Hawaiian climate, is any indicator of local influences, facility design is a precursor to
sustainable practices.
Transformation of the ULS campus has the potential to affect the whole community. The
redevelopment process also presents a unique research model to engage students in a
sustainability movement. It can also provide curriculum researchers an educational model that
fits the tenet of Arthur King Jr., who stated that “the classroom as a community of scholars and
cast each student into the role of authentic practitioner” (COE 2012). This echoes John Dewey’s
approach, which appears to be recognized as a highly appropriate approach in our present times
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(Campbell 1995, Ehrenfeld 1996, Morse 2011, Ryan 1995, Seigfried 2001, Talisee 2007). The
ULS has the students, teachers, staff, and a research team as well as the neighboring UHM
community to provide input for becoming more sustainable. The latter includes the
Hawai‘inuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge and the East West Center, consisting of a
“diversity of responses” (Tan 2011) that could assist in guiding the transitional process towards
participatory, sustainable, Hawaiian and cultural diversity perspectives. The role also is an
opportunity to give the ULS children and youth a boost towards empowerment through the kind
of participation envisioned by Agenda 21. It presents a new partnership objective with UHM that
can aid both campuses advancement towards sustainability.
Such a role appears to align with role the ULS is already engaged in towards designing
effective learning programs. ESD simply means a shift in focus to design curriculum and
facilities that support such an agenda. This opportunity is amplified by the UH sustainability
movement already underway, which would in turn be boosted by joining forces with the ULS,
which can be the sustainability research arm of both campuses. This role also addresses the
challenges faced by higher education institutions, which would be recipients of learners
advanced under this program (Neubauer et al 2012). Receiving a culture of learners versus a
culture of well taught students of past knowledge has the potential to transform the universities
into innovative centers evolving with each graduating class.
University of Hawaiʻi Sustainability Movement
ULS’s affiliation with UHM is a unique opportunity for both campuses to work together
in their resolve to achieve sustainability. UHM is a fully accredited research university of
international standing, guided by a strategic plan emphasizing the uniqueness of being grounded
in Native Hawaiian knowledge and values, including the tradition of reciprocity. The UHM has
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been recognized as a leader in reaching out to communities in Hawai‘i and the Pacific (UH
2011). UHM appears to be taking an early lead in the sustainability movement, which has
become highly active.
One of the first steps by UHM, which indicates a move towards sustainability, was the
founding of the 1968 Sea Grant College Program to promote a better understanding and
conservation of coastal resources. In 1970 the Environmental Center was formed dedicated to the
advancement of environmental management through education, research, and service. 1974
marked the formation of the Hawaii Energy Institute which performs research, conducts testing
and evaluation, and manages public-private partnerships across a broad range of renewable and
enabling technologies to reduce Hawaiʻi’s dependence on fossil fuels (UH 2013a). A noticeable
campus outcome was the “Energy House”, a model of a residential house that employed a design
specific to the Hawaiian environment and 1970s technology to reduce energy consumption
(SOEST 2013). In 1987 the UHM commissioned a Long Range Development Plan that has been
revised in 1994 and 2007. 1996 is marked by the formation of the Landscape Advisory
Committee (worth noting as a resource for the ULS campus design). The Long Range
Development Plan includes the University Laboratory School as part of the “Main Campus”, but
there is no reference to any developments for the School in the Plan. The 2007 plan revision may
have excluded the ULS campus as a result of the ULS becoming a charter public school in 2001.
However, the ULS is run by the CRDG under contract with the Hawaiʻi State Department of
Education. In combination of the CRDG being a branch of the UHM and the ULS facilities used
by UHM College of Education, the affiliation of the ULS to the UHM remains a symbiotic
relationship. This relationship could be further enhanced through the “community of disciplines”
consisting of the long-established Sea Grant College, the Environmental Center, and the Hawaii
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Energy Institute, which has the expertise to also guide the ULS campus redevelopment
challenge.
Office of Sustainability
UHM’s sustainability movement gained momentum with the formation of the Office of
Sustainability, which was located in the Energy House. This breathed new life into the Energy
House which had lost attention and become an aged relic of the progressive thinking behind it.
From this headquarters, which remained in need of much repair, Bruce Miller, Director of the
Office of Sustainability, and Linda Day, initiated many projects which engaged students. They
coordinated the draft of the “Charter of Sustainability” (2003) which was an outcome of two
strategic planning sessions. The planning sessions involved over 1000 faculty and administration
personnel, students, and individuals from the community. The sessions were instigated by the
UH President’s Office and Manoa Chancellor’s Office in early 2002.
The Charter of Sustainability: Stewardship Based on Island Values
The Charter labelled Hawaiʻi as “the endangered species capital of the world”, “the
extinction capitol of the US”. The University, as a research university dedicated to educating
future leaders, therefore has the ultimate responsibility to lead society onto a path of sustainable
development. The Charter’s mission became the guiding principle:
“The University of Hawai`i will apply the principles of sustainable design and
environmental stewardship to all of its activities. It will become a leader in Hawai`i
and the Pacific region in education, research, extension, and community
collaboration related to sustainability.”
The Charter became the UH’s version of Agenda 21 as it laid out a framework outlining
the issues, opportunities, and action plans divided into strategic goals:
Strategic Goal 1 – Use Energy Wisely
Strategic Goal 2 – Practice Sustainable Water Use
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Strategic Goal 3 – Minimize Negative Impact on the Land
Strategic Goal 4 – Create Sustainable Buildings
Strategic Goal 5 – Promote Alternative Transportation
Strategic Goal 6 – Minimize Material Waste
Strategic Goal 7 – Adopt Green Purchasing Policies
Strategic Goal 8 – Enhance the Quality of the Campus Experience
Strategic Goal 9 - Teach the Principles of Sustainability
Under this plan the following statement went into effect:
“From this day forward, the University of Hawai`i, acting through its statewide campus
network, is committed to the conservation, sustainable use, and enhancement of the local,
regional and global environment for the present and for the future. We will meet our
commitment through leadership by example in education, research and environmentally
responsible operations. We will engage in equitable and participatory partnerships with the
community to enhance our unique culture. We will ensure social and environmental equity
and justice while supporting a diversified and sustainable path of economic development.
Ultimately, we will design, build and administer our campuses sustainably, in order to
preserve and restore our unique and delicate ecosystems.”
Nine Committees, with a membership consisting of faculty and administrators from many
departments, students, and community members, were formed with each committee working on
one of the strategic goals (University of Hawaiʻi 2003). These goals apply to the ULS redesign.
Sustainability Retreat
A Retreat was conducted in 2005 involving over 40 participants keeping the
sustainability initiative alive. The list of sustainability activities related to the UHM campus,
exposed the wealth of leaders within Hawaiʻi that are all striving towards the same vision of
making UH, and Hawaiʻi, as a world leader in sustainability. Paul “Doc” Berry is one leading
example as he was producing a series of documentaries for a televised course entitled “A
Sustainable Hawaiʻi”. Another is John Harrison, Environmental Coordinator, University of
Hawaiʻi Environmental Center, who articulated the need to start the sustainability process as an
example to educate to our children and to overcome competing priorities, which tend to outpace
motivation for sustainability as evidenced in the lack of alternative energy innovation in newly
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constructed UH buildings. Mary Tiles, Department of Philosophy recommended enlisting
students, training them, and build it into research/practice part of learning (UH 2005).
The retreat included some of the members of the nine committees set up under the
Charter, but rather than reviewing progress towards goals, the activities listed on the agenda
came from attendees invited through a survey conducted in 2005 by the UH Sea Grant College
Program and the Office of Sustainability. Although no representation came from Hawaiian
Studies (three members were invited), one concluding requirement for a UH sustainable
development program is to “incorporate indigenous knowledge into our sustainability
approaches” (University of Hawaiʻi 2005). This indicates the necessity to engage all the
stakeholders, making other input options available over an extended time period to achieve
inclusivity, a challenge with such a large community. The need to engage a wider student
population was still evident in the 2013 “Campus Wide Conversations” that promoted me to send
a message to Chancellor Apple (Appendix C).
The document summarizing the proceedings of the 2005 retreat concluded with a website
address to track “Events”; however, the address prompted a SOEST website indicating “Page not
found”.
The loss of continuity of these two initiatives was possibly related to the daily demands
of regular duties for those involved. Professors and students are constantly under ever increasing
demands as they attempt to keep pace with the exponential rise of data and service learning
opportunities, in addition to the regular course requirements. Other than the construction of the
Sustainability Court Yard, no visible campus outcomes were noted until 2007 when the
Sustainable Saunders Initiative started engaging students.
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Sustainable Saunders
This project was instigated by the Chancellor’s Office in a partnership with HECO. It
was directed by a steering Committee, consisting of two professors from Public Administration
and one from the College of Social Sciences. Their goal was to make Saunders Hall, a 1970s
constructed building, in collaboration with students and faculty “a model of workplace
sustainability” (University of Hawaiʻi 2010). Shanah Trevenna, a foreign student in Political
Science, used her studies in direct application to her immediate learning environment which were
the classrooms in the unsustainable facilities of Saunders Hall. Progress was made in her
persistent leadership of the student body.
Two common student complaints were over lit, cold classrooms (Sustainable Saunders
2008). Using this feedback, she found the Saunders Building air-conditioning operation was
calibrated to accommodate business attire (full length pants and suit coats) and the lighting
“exceeded the IES recommendations and legal limits set by City and County of Honolulu
ordinance” (Wolfe 2008). That information led to adjusting the air conditioning setting along
with reducing the number of fluorescent lamps, without adding an operational cost, resulting in
an annual energy savings of over 500,000 kwh, and retrofitting water saving devices amounts to
over 100.000 gallons of water/year with a payback period of 10 years (Trevenna 2009, Public
Policy Center 2010). This is an example of “education energy” (e2), a concept of student
empowerment that will be referred to later.
The success of this Initiative, along with Ms. Trevanna’s passionate leadership style,
earned her the “UH President’s Making the Elephant Dance Award” (2008), an award given to
“students who find innovative ways to improve the University’s service to students and the
community” (UH 2013b), and also spawned a student group, Sustainable Saunders HUB. The
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HUB became a motivating force for other cross-campus student-led initiatives (e.g. East West
Center Participants Association’s Sustainability Program). This student-led participation is the
biggest boost towards the UH sustainability movement, a demonstration of the potential of youth
given a chance. Sustainable Saunders is a testimony of what can be achieved when youth are
channelled into areas normally carried out by consultants and experts. Engaging the students in
the project escalated the innovation and energy levels as well as building community capacity.
The ideas spawning from the Saunders initiative spread to similar aging buildings
constructed to “mainland” standards that do not take advantage of the characteristics that the
natural Hawaiian environment has to offer. More importantly, such a student-led initiative has an
equal opportunity at the ULS by engaging the students into designing a vision of their dream
school.
Manoa Sustainability Council
The student-led campus-wide movement expanded into the UH Sustainability Corp
which later became the Manoa Sustainability Council and may have been the impetus behind
motivating the former Chancellor Hinshaw to initiate a hiring process to employ five faculty
members towards the first phase of a strategic interdisciplinary initiative, involving student input
(Hinshaw 2011). This “cluster hire” was deemed an innovative strategy, first for the UH, and
possibly the country to form a “multidisciplinary cluster in shaping a core direction of
sustainable research, teaching and outreach on our campus for the next 25 years.” Students
were involved in the candidate selection process (Gilbert 2012). This Council is another body of
resources that may assist the ULS project.
Behind all these initiatives, the UHM is emphasising the Hawaiian component, “Malama
Honua” as part of the educational strategy process (Hinshaw & Meder 2011). This component
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supports the inclusion of the indigenous epistemology which has ties to the sustainability aspect
(Kauahipaula et al 2009, Meyers 2007). This is an aspect that could be highlighted more in the
ULS and provides important guidance towards sustainability in the local context.
East West Center
A similar story is found at the East West Center where a student body, working with the
dormitory facility maintenance staff, instigated a sustainability program for that independent
campus (EWCPA 2009). Energy consumption was reduced by retrofitting the dormitory
common areas with activated lighting and encouraging students to be conscious of their energy
consuming habits. Acting on the recommendation of one student, the annual telephone book
exchange requirement was reduced from over 400 telephone books (one per room) to less than
100 (one per unit). This is a prime example of mindful savings instigated by the sustainable
mindset. A common ingredient for the success of these programs is student-led participation. The
student-led projects are an option for administration to reverse the projected rise of tuition fees
(Board of Regents 2012) through cost savings achieved by directing professors to focus their
lessons towards applicability on campus sustainability (e2 2013). Building leadership at the
primary school level (Spillane 2005) would carry over into the University environment. The ULS
could use the same approach to engage the students to address their campus sustainability
challenges. This fortifies the strategy of implementing the empowerment of the major group,
children and youth (ULS student body).
The UHM’s sustainability score (College Sustainability Report Card), which rose from a
C (2009 and 2010) to a B (2011)1, appears to be in part a consequence of the student-led UHM
1 College Sustainability Report Card, a ranking system promoting the use of educational
institutions as community catalysts towards sustainability.
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sustainability movement. This movement traces back to the Sustainable Saunders Initiative,
when that initiative created the spark that spread to other initiatives across campus. According to
the Report Card, the lowest score (C) for the UHM is in “Stakeholder Priorities”. This area of
weakness builds the case for Hawaiʻi, the UHM, and the ULS to cultivate and coordinate all local
resources with the objective of bringing more continuity to the movement in its bid to become a
global leader in the sustainability movement.
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Chapter 5: Hawaiian Traditional Resource Management
“Aloha is our intelligence.” Manulani Aluli Meyer
Hawaiʻi, the Hub of Aloha, Seedbed of Sustainability
Another unique asset within the greater Hawaiian community for the ULS redevelopment
project is that there are people who still retain the Hawaiian epistemology, a knowledge
grounded in sustainable values. This attribute is highlighted in the University of Hawaiʻi’s
strategic plan (2011-2015), as a measure to establish a unique quality not available to all other
non-Hawaiian universities. The University recognizes the need for the campus community to be
guided by Hawaiian values to achieve a more sustainable campus. In support of this approach,
indigenous wisdom has been recognized to be as important as western science, especially when
related to environmental practices (Snively & Corsiglia 2001, Grinde & Johansen 1995, UN
1992).
In the pre-contact period before the European and Asian influx, Hawaiians had a complex
social order that appeared highly sustainable. Information transfer was an intergenerational
process that cultivated knowledge and spiritual awareness (Young 1998). The Hawaiians had a
deep connection to the land as evidenced by their resource management practices that are now
being recognised as highly sustainable. Western contact altered the social order dislocating
Hawaiians from their land and traditional practices. After 1820, the missionaries replaced family
and occupational teachings by holding classroom assemblies where English and Western
acculturation were the focus. The effort was viewed as a mechanism of converting the heathen
and savages into civilized Christians (Daws 1968, Young 1998, Osorio 2001).
In 1840, public education was formerly recognized by Kauikeaouli Kamehameha III. The
literacy rate in the English language was between 80 and 99% that year. By 1896 the Hawaiian
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language was no longer allowed to be used in the school system. This marked the beginning of
an erosion of the high literacy rating (Kamehameha Schools 2005). When the language ban was
discontinued in 1986, fewer than 50 youth under the age of 18 could speak Hawaiian fluently
(Wilson 1998).
The Native Hawaiian population does not presently exhibit the same level of achievement
as do non-native populations in terms of educational success. Three educational assessments
have been conducted, published in the years 1983, 1993, and 2005. The achievement gap was not
reducted from one assessment to the next. Hawaiians exceed the state averages in substance
abuse, incarceration, suicide, and deviance (Kamehameha Schools 2005).
Native Hawaiians are the largest cultural group in the Hawaiʻi public school system at
over 25% of the student population. The Native Hawaiian Educational Act (1988) designated
funds to 1) address the needs of gifted and talented students; 2) develop educational and
vocational curricula that incorporate Hawaiian knowledge; 3) develop community-based learning
centers to serve pre-schoolers and after-school students; 4) and research and evaluate educational
status and needs of Native Hawaiians. The Act was reauthorized in 2001 for another 5 years to
address the continued disparity between the Hawaiians and state average levels.
Kanalu G. Terry Young’s Rethinking the Native Hawaiian Past (1998) also indicates
there is much to learn from a deeper study of the Hawaiian social structure. The understanding
gained through expanding the focus beyond the Ali'i Nui to other levels of society, such as the
Kaukau Ali'i, could trigger a more enlightened methodology to advance civilization into an
increased collaborative structure. It appears more innovation and new leadership has to be
generated into field of education to address the Hawaiian youth situation.
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The evolution of Hawaiʻi’s epistemology is well captured in the writings of Osorio,
Yamauchi, Menton, Meyers, and Chun. Chun captures the Hawaiian educational values before
western influences, Osorio and Menton capture the transitional period, Meyer emphasises the
importance of revitalizing the Hawaiian epistemology to address the declining state of Hawaiʻi,
and Yamauchi draws our attention to a ray of hope of keeping Hawaiian culture alive through
education. To begin with, Osorio gives us a snapshot of ancient Hawaiian cultural development,
referring back to Polynesian origins and jumping to Hawaiian unification under King
Kamehameha I. He enlightens us about the social structure that developed to survive, given the
limited resources of the islands. He highlights the cultural belief, referred to as Malama ʻAina
(cherished land), that persisted throughout this period of time, likely over 2000 years, which tied
the agricultural communities dependence to the health of the environment. Land was held as a
common resource which the chiefs selected through heritage, and through which led the
community activities for survival (Osario 2005).
Chun (2006) draws from a credible source, Nānā I Ke Kumu (Pukui 1983), to give us a
view of the pre-westernized Hawaiian tenets of knowledge development, which include
observation (nānā or ʻike), listening (hoʻolohe), reflection (paʻa ka waha), and questioning
(nīnau) (Chun 2006). Returning to Osario’s (2005) description of the “Beginnings”, one can
assume it was the role of the chief to establish the framework of the education system for the
community. One can also assume that much knowledge was transmitted as in most ancient
cultures where it is passed down from the elders to the children through oral stories and
demonstration of practices of agriculture, hunting, home economics, etc. These principles of
learning are also reflected in the knowledge development practices of the North American Native
Indians described by McGaa (2004) and the emerging discoveries in neuroscience (Siegel 2012).
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Under this epistemology, social practices used the laws demonstrated by nature to
integrate into their life-style, in compliance with those laws. Both Hawaiians and Native
Americans observed whole systems of nature in designing their activities. This is becoming
evident as a superior methodology in comparison to the reductionist approach used in the modern
scientific method, with its emerging side effects
The holistic approach appears to have less impact on social and environmental values
when compared to the reductionist approach (mainstream framework) displaying associated
harmful side effects. An example is the superiority of the ancient water management system
(ahupuaʻa) developed by the Hawaiians, when compared to present day systems, which
developed under scientific advances. Parts of the USA and Canada, which employ modern
management systems, are beginning to face water management challenges. A reasonable
question is whether we might come to a similar conclusion of the superiority of the more holistic
ancient pedagogy over the westernized system that divides learning into a reductionist approach
by separating knowledge into subject areas? Some advancement in pedagogy show the
advantages of interrelating knowledge area subjects. High school teachers of each grade level
can collaborate with each other to ensure that each subject meshes with the material being
presented in the other courses their students are learning during the semester. This is an approach
prescribed in Agenda 21 (Chapter 36).
Menton (1992) enlightens us about the infusion of American missionaries into Hawaiʻi
and their role creating a schooling system to establish the tenets of Christianity and civilization
(p.218). She also mentions the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign
Missions (ABCFM) was similarly focused on civilizing the Native American Indians. According
to her sources, it was when Hawaiian adults lost interest in learning that the missionaries turned
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to teaching the children. Menton’s description of the pedagogy of the Cookes gives us a detailed
view of the teaching method used on the children of the Aliʻi at the Royal School. Menton
conveys that the teaching results were futile. The Cookes encountered the same resistance that
the Hawaiian adults developed after their exposure to the teachings. The young royalty’s
behaviour to the teaching style appeared to echo the teaching challenges in today’s society,
where the parents and grandparents roles have been replaced by teachers. I recall in my
schooling experience I became opposed to my family elders’ views, thinking they were old
fashioned, lacking any credibility in contrast to the progressive ideas being conveyed in the
school lessons. In addition, the description mirrors the “residential schools” established in
Canada to civilize the “First Nation” (Indian) children. The word “genocide” has been used in
many references describing these residential schools. The Canadian government is doling out
over $2.6 billion in compensation for the negative effects that these schools had on their
attendees (Pemberton 2011). The “First Nation” peoples of Canada (and Alberta) share a similar
history to that of the Hawaiians, starting out as a thriving society under their own cultural beliefs
only to end up in the same low socioeconomic position while attempting to survive under a
foreign socioeconomic structure.
To cast a ray of hope on these dismal historical reviews, Yamauchi et al. (1999) describes
the formation of the Hawaiian immersion schools to prevent the “genocide” of the Hawaiian
culture. This article portrays the resilience of a people who will not allow history to bury their
culture, and links the importance of educating in the Hawaiian language to achieve preservation.
The “residential schools” of Canada and the USA, that assimilated the indigenous
peoples into the western culture, are a prime example of using education not to benefit the
individual, but to achieve politically driven agendas. The residential schools should be used as a
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model to assess educational processes as a brainwashing or empowerment pedagogy. Education
for sustainable development epitomizes Einstein’s statement “we cannot solve our problems with
the same level of thinking that created them”. Much literature recommends a new way of
thinking that requires a shift from linear or reductionist thinking to “systems thinking” (Sterling
2001), a process for a sustainable paradigm.
Meyer (2007) details the 7 categories of “intelligence” related to the Hawaiian culture.
One of the principal ones is “ania” or land, “the one which feeds”. The concept of our
relationship with the land has a significant impact on how we interact with the land. Viewing
land as property or real estate makes it an expendable commodity which deviates from the
traditional Hawaiian notion that land was the source of life that had to be managed by the
community in accordance with that value. Another category of intelligence is “ʻike” or
knowledge and traditions. This principle is captured in the Worldwide voyage of the Hōkūlea
and Hikianalia (2012-2017), resurrecting the Hawaiian mastery of navigation and discovery. The
mission of these voyages “is to navigate towards a healthy and sustainable future for ourselves –
the Hawaiian Islands – and our island Earth through voyaging and new ways of learning.” The
forthcoming voyage is facilitating the “Hawaiʻi Challenge”, a collaborative joining of the forces
of all those working towards a sustainable future (PVS 2012). These Hawaiian values strike to
the core of sustainable development.
These values in some way can come to frame many and perhaps most of the ULS
programs but certainly to frame the activities of ULS students participating in programs that are
grounded in Hawaiian values such as the “Worldwide voyage” and Project Pono. These are
elective programs at the ULS which reflect Meyer’s call to re-establish a strong relationship with
the land by introducing environmental stewardship, grounded in Hawaiian values. However, a
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substantial opportunity lies in the challenge that faces the ULS as they contemplate their options
for the land, subject to the pending campus renovation project. Engaging ULS students, teachers,
and staff in the planning process has the potential to emanate the epitome of sustainable
development and experiential learning. The normal planning pattern of employing “experts” to
design and construct a campus misses out on empowering the ULS students and its community.
Ultimately the campus revitalizing challenge can offer an opportunity to integrate
Hawaiian values as a foundation for building an exemplary “Made in Hawaiʻi” learning
environment. The UHM affiliation is a key asset as the Hawai‘inuiākea School of Hawaiian
Knowledge would be a worthy partner in laying the foundations of Hawaiian values and has the
potential to compensate for the unjust historical actions imposed by the influx of foreigners.
In this partnership, the ULS can research the applicability of Hawaiian epistemology
towards program designs to address the low graduation rate of native Hawaiians. This has the
potential to be applied on an international level to other indigenous peoples struggling in the
present education format. I contend this approach would address the shortcomings of all students
who struggle in school.
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Chapter 6: Applicability of a Public Participatory Process
“Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children.” Walt Disney
A ULS’s asset to aid in the success of its redevelopment project is its student body of
children and youth. Society in general has a tendency to overlook or silence its children and
youth, while being led by “experts”. In its broad framing the UN global model of sustainability
is dependent in expanding the participatory parameters to children and youth, recognizing the
historical absence of including them and youth in policy development processes. The inclusion
of this major group is also a path to attain equality. Establishing an equitable human rights
system is most likely to occur under education development theories framed under the lens of
“capability-building” (Blagescu & Young 2006). A major example of a “capacity-building”
model involving children and youth that could have salience for the ULS appeared in Canada in
2008, when the Alberta Government (Ministry of Education) initiated Inspiring Education: A
Dialogue With Albertans. This program appeared to give all Albertans the opportunity to
liberate themselves by contributing to create policy towards an education system designed by the
public for the public. Enlisting the theory that the strength of society can be boosted by
education (Felson and Sotis 2005), the Alberta initiative also has become a research model that
could be used to assess the degree of engagement it produced. Building on strengths of the
process, a modified program could be designed to fully engage the ULS student body and the
larger community as a resource to assist the redevelopment planning and implementation. This
can be achieved in part by aligning its curriculum to practical real-life challenges. This is the
foundational workings of “Education Energy” (e2 2013).
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Inspiring Education
Since 2008, the Alberta Government has been engaging in a public dialogue towards
visioning an education system to meet the demands of the future. Province-wide public forums
have been conducted, and youth (secondary school level) were solicited through the “Speak Out”
website, along with a student advisory committee to the Minister of Education. The objective of
the initiative is to engage the people of Alberta to create a “Made in Alberta vision” of their
dream education program for Albertans.
The Program engaged youth in the following ways:
Nov. 26, 2008 “Speak Out” website launched aimed at students from grade 9-12,
Included a Youth Advisory Council to the Minister of Education – comprised of
24 youth across Alberta 14-19 years old with a one year term
Youth Advisory Council member duties:
ambassadors for Speak Out!
active on the Speak Out website discussion boards and blogs.
hosted a Speak Out Forum using the DVD Toolkit in their school
met with the Minister of Education a few times each year to share
their perspectives on education.
received media training, public speaking and facilitation training
and leadership opportunities.
October 2009 the Speak Out team launched the DVD toolkit. This award winning
educational program was created in response to the overwhelming requests for
Speak Out forums to be delivered across the province.
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2009-2010 The Speak Out program was conducted to 70 Speak Out forums during the
school year to approx. 2,300 students
2009 – 10 public forums conducted which included some youth participants
In June 2010 the Steering Committee released a report of its findings and further solicited
online conversations/discussion/dialogue/blogging to captured comments of this release. The
Education Act was passed in 2012, and online feedback was again solicited on the Act itself.
The Government of Alberta (GOA) claims the process included every type of learner – urban,
rural, Aboriginal, disabled, gifted, or of a minority culture. It appears all input was treated as
equal without any weight being given to the input of any of those groups.
Research Project on Inspiring Education
To qualify the perspective of youth, the 2009 Global Youth Assembly in Edmonton gave
researchers (myself and Dian Mitrayani – Northern Illinois University) an opportunity to design
and conduct a workshop to increase the scope of youth in visioning participation for Inspiring
Education, to a national and international level. We made a special effort to invite “First Nation”
(FN) youth; however, no FN representatives attended. Our workshop, which attracted 19
national and 1 international (Ukraine) participants, was facilitated by 6 skilled facilitators, and
followed the IE workshop format by having the participants discuss their experience of the
education system and what education means to them. The last exercise was to build a dream
school. The proceedings of the workshop captured the following information. It was recorded
and submitted in a report to the government in the fall of 2009.
School experiences
Education serves as opportunity to careers, as a compass, global connection, and
key to possibilities
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School acts as a disconnected institution with little bonding between students and
teachers
Schooling = memorization, fast food curriculum, grade oriented
Students = receivers of information
School environment in unsustainable structures felt much like being in prison
Vision of Dream Education
Holistic education
Nurture creativity
Democratic
Interdisciplinary
Connect with nature
Humanity aspect of learning - care curriculum, culture of peace, spirituality
Constructive thinking
Equal access in education
Teachers as facilitator, students as co-teacher
Collaboration between students, teachers, and community (ensuring inclusion of elders)
for education development
School is flexible - Freedom to learn what the student passionate about, students as
partners in curriculum development
Sustainable and natural environment schools (green schools)
This involvement also allowed the researchers to observe and assess the government
initiative from an academic perspective. This was achieved by attending a public forum (June
2009), dialoguing with administrators, and following the progress that was posted on dedicated
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websites. It would be interesting to conduct a similar exercise with the ULS students for a
comparison. I suggest that this is a valid procedure for the ULS in their project agenda.
The Initiative’s steering committee released the findings in the spring of 2010.
The report constructed the type of learner the input was describing:
“Engaged thinker
thinks critically and makes discoveries; uses technology to learn, innovate, communicate,
and discover; works with multiple perspectives and disciplines to identify problems and find best
solutions; communicates the ideas to others; adapts to change with an attitude of optimism and
hope for the future.
Ethical citizen
builds relationships based on humility, fairness, and open-mindedness; demonstrates
respect, empathy and compassion; through team work, collaboration, and communication
contributes fully to the community and the world.
Entrepreneurial spirit
creates opportunities and achieves goals through hard work, perseverance and
discipline; strives for excellence ad earns success, explores ideas and challenges the status quo;
is competitive, adaptable and resilient; has the confidence to take risks and make bold decisions
in the face of adversity.”
The report also recommended policy and governance shifts.
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Figure 3 Policy Shift
Figure 4 Governance Shift
The “Guiding Principles” for policy development were conveyed as:
Learner-centered
Shared responsibility and accountability
Engaged community
Inclusive, equitable access
Responsive, flexible approach
Sustainable and efficient resources
Innovation to promote and strive for excellence
The report allowed the researchers to compare the findings with the ideas captured at the
GYA workshop. This assessment triggered an opportunity to interject feedback on the report’s
“guiding principles” towards policy development, based on the workshop input.
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Framed in the context of the input of the youth participants, the following
recommendations are proposed as rewording for the Guiding Principles:
Learner-centered
Stated in report: "Decision makers should consider the needs of children and youth first
and foremost when making decisions."
Assessment: Does not express the importance of engaging children and youth to co-create
their destiny
Recommended wording: “To assess the needs of children and youth, decision makers
must include the voices of children and youth through participatory dialogue
Shared responsibility and accountability
Stated: "Acknowledging that parents are the primary guide and decision makers for
children, all partners in education should share responsibility and accountability for
educational outcomes."
Assessment: same as previous
Recommend: Acknowledging that children and youth are one of the primary
stakeholders, their participation should be stimulated and reflected in education
development. This process will create ownership for the stakeholders by increasing
equitable responsibility and accountability.
Engaged communities
Stated: “Community resources should be fully engaged to support learners, including
expertise, facilities, services, and learning opportunities. Community resources – where
local, provincial, national or global – should actively participate in the education of
learners.”
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Recommend: Special efforts should be given to create an environment for
intergenerational interactions. The interaction would provide a two-way learning
opportunity for both elders and children/young people to stimulate the evolution of
education development.
Sustainable and Efficient Use of Resources
Stated: “Decision-makers should identify and adopt strategies and structures that
optimize resources (financial and human) and minimize duplication.”
Recommend: New schools must be leading models of sustainable design and
consideration should be given for assessing and retrofitting or replacing existing school to
house the learners in the optimum sustainable learning environment.
These recommendations received favorable feedback when Ms Mitrayani and myself
presented our research project at Mount Royal University’s Symposium on the Scholarship of
Teaching and Learning (2010) and the annual Comparative International Education Society’s
conference in Montreal (2011).
The IE process produced guiding principles that are applicable to the ULS.Our research
displayed how the principles could be worded to increase the engagement and empowerment of
children and youth, also an objective that can be applied to the ULS redevelopment process.
Therefore the IE process would be well-adapted to a community capacity building instrument
towards guiding the upgrade transition for the ULS campus. This is also an opportunity to reflect
on the learning environment as proposed by Dewey wherein students are directly engaged in
capacity building inclusive of parents, teachers, ULS administration, and the surrounding
community (including the UHM and Hawai‘inuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge).
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Lessons learned from the IE process are improving ways to engage marginalized and youth
populations. Since they are prime stakeholders, it is recommended their input be given a higher
weight factor towards policy development. This also stimulates their involvement in the real
world which will follow them into university, where they become change agents to address the
challenges facing the higher education sector (Taylor 2009).
The process presents ULS a significant opportunity to collaborate with government, public,
and the Hawai‘inuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge to address the highly important situation
of training indigenous students. This will contribute towards improving the indigenous rights of
Hawaiians. Such a process can empower the community in creating a collaborated destiny of
education. Finally, such a process can be evaluated in alignment with the research objectives of
ULS for adoption worldwide.
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Chapter 7
Discussion
The strategy of Agenda 21 is to “attack the causes” of distorted social and economic
development by shifting the economic rationality program of industrialized societies to a
sustainable development paradigm by utilizing perspectives that have had little influence in
centuries of policy development. According to historical and archeology records, policy
development has been dominated by adult males for millenniums (Eisler 1987). Agenda 21
directs nations to change this dynamic by empowering and engaging the qualities inherent in
women (nurturing), youth (innovation), and the indigenous peoples (environmental stewardship).
It appears that the King and Brownell knowledge development framework is predominantly a
male designed model, which offers little choice on electives and options for students to follow
their learning interests. Such a framework can be categorized into Neuman’s “mainstream”
structure. According to my conclusion on knowledge development frameworks (Chapter 3), such
a learning model is not based on the best suited framework to induce a sustainable mindset. In
contrast, the elective Project Pono, appears to be an exception to the overall ULS program by
allowing the student more freedom in developing a self-directed syllabus. Based on “major
groups” assets available to the ULS through the Hawaiian community, outlined in the previous
chapters, the answer to the second question of this research query is “education for sustainable
development” does offer a framework that the ULS can employ in the School’s campus
redevelopment and curriculum development processes. In fact, many schools and universities
that are not as well endowed as the ULS are well into “greening” up their campuses, while others
have a vision of leading the way to sustainability through teaching and campus sustainability
initiatives (e.g. Aalto University, Finland). The UH has intensified the sustainability movement,
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which offers the ULS available resources to advance the School towards sustainability. The
traditional ULS teacher-researcher role (King 1966) would in turn facilitate researching and
designing programs specific to education for sustainable development.
Can the ULS redevelopment initiative interact with the UHM sustainability initiatives to
strengthen the evolution of both? As the UHM is striving to become a world class research
university and to advance Hawaiʻi as a national leader in sustainability (Hinshaw & Meder
2011), the sustainability goals can be applied to the campus transformation of the ULS. This in
turn can act as a more manageable microcosm to achieve the goals of UHM’s strategic plan
(UHM 2011). According to the “Report Card”, the lowest score (C) for the UHM is in
“Stakeholder Priorities”. This area of weakness presents significant opportunities for Hawaiʻi,
the UHM and its feeder school and educational research center, the University Laboratory
School (ULS) to cultivate and coordinate all the local resources with the objective of becoming a
global leader in the sustainability movement. The ULS already has an established working
relationship with the leading experts associated with the UHM. As suggested earlier at the 2005
Sustainability Retreat, Mary Tiles, Department of Philosophy recommended “enlisting students,
train them and build it into research/practice part of learning” (University of Hawaiʻi 2005). In
fact, this idea with all the recommendations made at the 2005 retreat could be more easily
managed when scaled down to the ULS campus.
This applies directly to the other Retreat recommendations to 1) “develop courses
through an experimental college series that would cover sustainability practices for the home”;
2) ‘sponsor “Smart Practices” competitions that focus on unit efforts to conserve energy,
conserve water, or efficient use of land/space for multiple purposes’; 3) “incorporate indigenous
knowledge into our sustainability approaches”; 4) “create an urban garden on campus”; 5)
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“increase the knowledge base for low maintenance gardening, composting, recycling, etc.”; 6)
“work with state and county planners to make sustainability efforts permissible under the
building and health codes”; 7) “develop a set of sustainability indicators that would serve as
benchmarks for improvement of the University of Hawaiʻi’s sustainability practices”; and 8)
“develop classroom case studies that initiate research on the effect of sustainable practices on our
campus ecosystem.” Ultimately the goals of becoming 1) “a transformative teaching and learning
environment”, 2) “a global leading research university”, 3) “and engaged university”, and 4)
“facilitating excellence”, as stated in the UHM’s 2001-2015 Strategic Plan, might be easier to
achieve through the recommendations of the Retreat, at the ULS scale. This would in turn be a
testing ground for the most effective approach for application at the UHM level.
Can the Hawaiian cultural component and the UHM Hawaiian strategy be applied to the
ULS’s development plans? The UHM’s strategic plan conveys the “significance of Mānoa as a
campus physically and conceptually grounded in Native Hawaiian knowledge and values. This
cuts across each of our strategic goals. Hawai‘i’s unique location and strength in indigenous
scholarship sets us apart from other universities” (UHM 2011)" Such a strategic plan appears it
could act as a guide for the ULS. The recent formation of the Hawai‘inuiākea School of
Hawaiian Knowledge (2007), making it “one of the largest school of indigenous knowledge in
the US” (Hawai‘inuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge 2011), has potential of strengthening
the cultural component of the ULS. The Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People (2007)
has also heightened the recognition for inclusion of these marginalized people to policy
development. In the Hawaiian context, the Hawaiian epistemology, which aligns with the
McGaa framework, appears to have much to offer when considering alternative knowledge
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development frameworks (Chun 2006, Kauahipaula et al 2009, Kimura & Wilson 1983, Osario
2005, Meyer 2007).
Which knowledge development approach best suits education for sustainable
development? The knowledge development process that equally engages all “groups” of its
population is the most appropriate. Of the four frameworks assessed, the most empowering
frameworks are Morris and Kirby, which recognize the need to establish equality free from any
dominating influence. The MaGaa framework does have a more nature-orientated format which
aligns best with the Hawaiian epistemology. The research component of the ULS could be used
to determine the best knowledge development framework for stimulating a sustainable mindset.
Carrying out a renovation project on a functioning school has obvious disruptive
implications. If the campus is embarking upon a complete transformation to achieve the highest
sustainable attributes available, then this is the only option that the ULS should consider, as such
the renovations are costly and would take years to complete. Bureaucratic challenges are
experienced when any process is initiated at UHM. Being designated as a charter public school
adds to the complexity of process alterations. The risk-taking, rule free environment once
enjoyed by the ULS has added to the challenge in proceeding as a visionary institution. The
Department of Education (DOE) has to answer to the needs of the Hawaiian school system with
limited resources. The ULS has already drawn political criticism because many of the students
attending the school were from families of UH faculty, giving the School an elitist status. Any
favoritism towards a school will draw political criticism, so any consideration to such a
transformational plan would have to be well justified. Under a political and economically-driven
agenda the process will be challenging. Achieving sustainability is up against the same obstacles.
However, with the smaller community size of the ULS, employing a scaled-down community
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participatory process similar to the one used in Alberta, makes such a task transparent and more
attainable.
Conclusion
The conflicts between nations, that triggered the formation of the United Nations, have
escalated to a conflict between nations and the Earth. The mission of the United Nations is to
prevent another occurrence of the tragedies witnessed in WWII. Unprecedented threats to the
existence of humanity, however, such as climate change, plasticification and acidification of the
oceans, contamination, economic collapses, and population growth are inducing new stresses
between nations and the Planet itself. The precepts of Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(1948), the UN’s first international agreement, have now escalated to include protecting the
Earth. This trend has triggered an international movement to adopt a sustainable development
paradigm. Governments, non-government organizations, scientists, schools, universities, and
individuals are joining the movement with the goal of inducing world-wide cooperation to find
solutions to growing issues. The University of Hawaiʻi appears to be aggressively taking
measures to change its modus operandi with a vision of becoming a leader in sustainable
development. Within the campus is the ULS, a microcosm needing infrastructure retrofitting to
advance the campus into the 21st Century.
Human resource consumption, driven by an economically-driven system of the free
market, is escalating “development” at levels that is altering the Planet’s ecosystems to the point
of threatening a global mass extinction (Thompson 2010). Hawaiʻi itself is a microcosm within
the Planet that is being impacted by culminating world “development”. The rise of the
reactionary movement to the impacts of industrial processes can be attributed to people pursuing
their own research interests in contrast to the research agenda most graduate students are bound,
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due to the parameters set by funding agencies. An example is Rachael Carson who reached a
wide public audience to convey her findings on the detrimental effects of DDT to natural
systems. Her publication Silent Spring (Carson 1962) has been cited as igniting the
environmental movement (Griswold 2012). The movement gained international footing with Our
Common Future (Brundtland 1987), which articulated a need for a global change. This initiated
the international agenda leading up to the formulation of a new world development paradigm.
The path to the paradigm is captured in the objectives of Agenda 21 (1992). Under a sustainable
development paradigm all development is conducted without neglecting that the social,
economic, and social values are in balance. Building on global human rights, Agenda 21
recognized the important need to include the demographics of people who have historically had
little direct input to policy development. Inclusion of the historically oppressed groups (women,
children and youth, and indigenous people) has the potential to add new dimensions to
manifesting an awakened global consciousness. The UN international collaborative to formulate
a sustainable development paradigm, by addressing threats to humanity, is gathering the
perspectives of these groups through their multifaceted programs and websites. As this
movement grows exponentially in the number of participants and the volumes of data that are
accessible to all, the movement is manifesting the education that is spelled out by the Declaration
which states: “Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and
to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote
understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall
further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.” (Article 26(2)). This
notion of individual empowerment manifesting a different reality is articulated from educational
leaders, as the likes of UH’s own Dr. Meyer (2007) to being portrayed in documentaries such as
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“What the Bleep do We Know” (Arntz et al. 2004). Another way to frame this notion is the
consideration that history would not have been so dominated by conflict and wars if women had
equally been involved as policy makers and leaders.
Based on the assumption that our education system has been mostly influenced by the
paradigm it has been formulated under (the male-dominated Industrial Age), the analyses of
knowledge development frameworks offer an understanding of the “cause” of intellectual
direction. The need to analyze the basis of our knowledge development is also reflected in the
writings of scholars such as Ray Kuzweil (2001) and Dan Siegel (2012). Inducing a sustainable
development paradigm, intelligence comes from a community collective that understands its
relationship to the Planet. The first step therefore is to reconnect our learning populations to
nature. The second step is to nurture and give equal value to the talents each person brings to a
community. This is a cornerstone to achieving sustainable development by world consensus
(UNESCO 1992). The process to design the ULS campus redevelopment offers a unique
opportunity to establish a democratic process to include the “major groups”, which could be
accomplished through a transparent community participatory process.
Children and youth, who are viewed as the hope of the future, would be given a higher
priority through such a process. Their future should be further nurtured by educating them in
sustainable environments. The Finnish School system, ranked top in the world, accomplishes
this by engaging students in a relaxed learning environment (Wagner 2012). This is a “Guiding
Principle” of the Alberta education policy development (Chapter 7). “Mindfulness” learning is
another strategy that blends well with a reconnection to nature and allowing individuals to
discover their intelligence (talents) (Atthayanun 2008). The MaGaa framework rooted in nature
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and reflection, influenced by local (Hawaiian) values, in combination with King/Brownell liberal
education approach form a strong foundation to build a sustainable development paradigm.
This combination of parameters indicates that the ULS is in a unique position to be a
prime candidate to join the global movement as a research facility in testing and developing
education for sustainable development programs. Further, to test the programs effectively, the
students’ reconnection with nature could be accomplished by housing them in a complimentary
sustainable environment that capitalizes on the uniqueness of the Hawaiian ecosystem.
Employing an architectural design that induces exceptional academic performance should aid the
overall learning experience.
An effective way to arrive at such an innovative, locally appropriate campus design, that
has the potential to surpass accolades of the Green School Bali, is by using a modified Alberta
public engagement, community capacity building model. This model would employ all available
resources from 1) the ULS (faculty, parents and students), 2) the University of Hawaiʻi (faculty
and student populations, 3) the East West Center’s faculty and student populations, 3) the faculty
and students of the Hawai‘inuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge), and 4) the local community
of interested stakeholders (including interested contractors, engineers, architects, politicians,
retired educators, etc.). This is the UHM’s approach of their capacity building exercise to
confront their sustainability challenges. Success is occurring to a degree. At the Sustainability
Retreat the scale of the challenge was daunting with a noted tendency to slip back into business
as usual. Even with the creation of the Energy House and the Hawaiʻi Nature Energy Institute
over 40 years ago, little evidence is seen in the Hawaiian development scene that the forward
thinking of these initiatives has much influence. To address this tendency and make
sustainability a potential game changing process, the ULS should become the central focus of the
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 105
University of Hawaiʻi system. It could become a manageable model of a sustainable campus
emphasizing its importance as a UH feeder school producing top scholars, whose innovative
traits continue to evolve humanity towards a prosperous future.
This exercise has the potential of catapulting the ULS and the University of Hawaiʻi into
a top global prodigious educational institute. Hawaiian students would no longer gravitate to
“mainland” universities, as their elementary and secondary education would be transformed by
the adoption of ULS “Made in Hawaiʻi” programs by State public schools. Treated as a top
priority, the ULS has the potential to become a generator of youth leaders who have honed their
talents to their full potential through a democratic, sustainable, experiential learning
environment. These students have the potential to become engaged mindful scholars
characterised by innovation, to move the University of Hawaiʻi towards being a world class
university.
The students graduating from this educational environment, built on local values, not
only have the potential to become catalysts of sustainability; but also the potential to be seeds for
an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity! This builds on the case Stile’s presented (1965) to
transform the ULS into an educational research center. His idea saved the School from
extinction; this study builds a case there is a role for the ULS to strengthen the trend towards
saving humanity!
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 106
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The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
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Wong T. & A. 2006-2011. Hawaiian host family sharing cultural and spiritual values. Friends of
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The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 121
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And the list goes on........
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 122
Appendix A
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 123
Portable 2 Classroom B – high humidity measurements of 80% (looking northwest)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 124
Portable 2 Office – unattended with lights on
Portable 2 (above - looking east, southeast; below – looking east)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 125
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 126
Portable 3 Classroom A (above - looking east; below – looking west northwest)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 127
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 128
Portable 3 Classroom A Office space (looking south)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 129
Portable 3 Classroom B - bad odor in room during the audit (looking west)
Portable 3 Classroom B – room measures high in humidity (83%), broken shades (looking north east)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 130
Portable 3 Classroom B - washroom behind closed door likely source of bad odor (looking southeast)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 131
Castle Memorial Hall Lanai north east wing – unnecessary use of lights (looking east)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 132
Castle Memorial Hall Rm 120 – good natural ventilation and light (looking northeast)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 133
Castle Memorial Rm 120 (looking southeast)
Castle Memorial Rm 125 (looking south)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 134
Castle Memorial Rm 125 (looking north)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 135
Castle Memorial Rm 137 CRDG office – occupant indicates office is “unbearable” in hot weather – portable a/c is no help
Castle Memorial Choir room – good natural air ventilation and light (looking west)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 136
Castle Memorial Lanai south west wing – unnecessary use of lights
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 137
Castle Memorial Rm 117 – lights on and unoccupied during length of audit in the building
Castle Memorial Courtyard east wing – former pond mosquito breeding habitat after rain
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 138
Castle Memorial Hall courtyard between northwest and southwest wings
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 139
Castle Memorial Hall middle wing – good natural light but air flow limited due to the orientation
Courtyard Building 3
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 140
West lanai on east wing of Building 3
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 141
Building 3 entrance from University Avenue (looking west)
Building 3 south wing (right) and Multipurpose Building (looking west from University Avenue)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 142
Multipurpose Building’s east facing doors
Multipurpose Building’s inner hall adjoining kitchen facilities (behind closed metal panels)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 143
Building 3 south wing and Multipurpose Building (looking east)
Building 3 courtyard (looking west from parking lot)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 144
Building 3 south wing (looking south at the west end of courtyard)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 145
Building 3 north and east wings (looking east from west side of courtyard)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 146
Building 3 south wing (looking southeast in the courtyard)
Building 3 south wing (looking southwest in courtyard – same location as photo about)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 147
West end of Multipurpose Building – back of kitchen (looking south from parking lot) The preceding pictures were taken October 2013. The following were taken on the dates listed in Appendix B related to the time and follows the order of the environmental audit.
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 148
Project Pono Students in Rm 101 Building 3 south wing
One of two entries to Rm 101 Building 3 south wing
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 149
Rm 101 Well ventilated by prevailing air flow and well lit naturally (looking northwest)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 150
Rm 101 south (looking southeast to entry) Audit indicates lights not needed as natural light meets recommended levels 200~700 lux.
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 151
Rm 104 Building 3 south wing (looking northeast). Similar conditions as Rm 101. Good learning environment except for noise emanating from children playing in adjacent field.
Distracting noise levels for Building 3 south wing classrooms from adjacent play field
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 152
Rm 104 (looking north) Areas of clutter common in many rooms.
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 153
Rm 103 Building 3 south wing Storage – between Rm 101 and 104 (looking south)
Multipurpose Building – Bandroom (a/c running – looking southwest from entry)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 154
no natural light or air ventilation (looking south east)
Multipurpose Building kitchen area (looking west)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 155
Multipurpose Building kitchen area (looking south west)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 156
Multipurpose Building auditorium (looking north)
Multipurpose Building - all lights on, some lighting high intensity (looking south)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 157
Multipurpose Building east facing ventilation design not maximizing on prevailing northerly air flow a more energy efficient design would have rotated the building 90° clockwise to have the doors and vents facing south.
Over lit room in Multipurpose building
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 158
Typical Washroom – old high water consumptive fixtures (above view looking north)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 159
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 160
Toilet Stalls in various states of maintenance
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 161
Choice of drying hands (electric and/or paper)
Staff Washrooms – no natural light, requires lights
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 162
Rm 133 Building 3 north wing (looking northeast)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 163
Rm 133 slightly less natural air flow or light as south wing due to sheltering effect of building – class light intensity still exceeds recommended levels at time of audit
Rm 136 Building 3 north wing - lights off due to a movie being shown but natural light at adequate level for reading (looking northwest)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 164
General Office Building 3 east wing vegetation outside windows block natural air and light (looking east)
General Office Building 3 entry (looking west)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 165
Small office in General Office
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 166
General Office - over lighting can be lessened by delamping to save energy and still maintain recommended levels
Adjoining office area to General Office – staff indicates is very hot during hot periods due to lack of ventilation from prevailing airflows – windows are aligned to natural airflow and blocked by vegetation
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 167
Rm 130 Building 3 north wing (above view looking east, below view looking west)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 168
Rm 201 Building 3 south wing – over lit (above - looking northwest, below – looking southwest)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 169
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 170
Rm 217 Building 3 east wing – teacher has turn off lights appropriately (looking north)
Rm 217 note use of fans for airflow as the orientation of windows do not utilize prevailing outside flow
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 171
Rm 217 an example of some obsolete fixtures
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 172
Rm 217 east facing windows source of street noise a more efficient design would have the windows located on south wall to catch prevailing air flow.
Rm 220 Building 3 north wing (above - looking north, below – looking south)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 173
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 174
Rm 220 an example of electrical wiring clutter in ULS
Rm 220 broken fan
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 175
Rm 206 Building 3 south wing (above - looking northeast, below – looking southeast)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 176
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 177
Rm 233 Building 3 north wing – use of lights unnecessarily (above – looking northwest; below – southeast)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 178
Rm 227 Building 3 north wing second floor – teacher has turned lights out a energy saving practice that could reduce power costs if this became a conscious practice (above - looking north east; below southwest)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 179
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 180
Rm 225 south adjoining to Rm 227 blocks prevailing air flow to Rm 225 where power consuming fan below attempts to create ventilation
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 181
Rm 235 Building 3 north wing Teachers office – cool day but audit notes indicate this space “stuff and hot” (looking north)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 182
Rm 135 Science teachers’ office Building 3 first floor – unoccupied at time of audit with lights on and plugged in electronics (looking south)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 183
Rm 230 Building 3 second floor (above - looking northeast; below southwest)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 184
Portable 2 Classroom A (looking southwest)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 185
Portable 2 Classroom A – note limited natural lighting and unit is sealed from outside air flow air conditioning running at time of audit even with cool outside temperature
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 186
Portable 2 Classroom A – door propped with a/c operating (looking southwest)
Portable 2 Classroom B (looking east)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 187
Appendix B
Environmental Audit University Laboratory School, February 2014: Data Capture Using Pyle PSPL41 Environment Meter by Project Pono students
Date Location In
Session?
Description Light
(lux)
Sound
(decibels)
Temperatu
re (F°)
Relative
Humidity (%)
1/31/20
14
13:14:2
4
UHS
Building
3
Rm 101
Yes 12 students and 3
teachers in the
classroom. Students and
teachers are all on
computers at the tables.
There are two tables
joining together with
four chairs, 7 total. 3
joining tables in the
front row and 4 joining
tables in the back row.
The windows are closed,
and one door open. The
projector was on the
first 25 minutes of class,
the cords aren't easy to
use; very confusing set
up. Two lights out of the
three were on.
The highest
reading was
1148 Lux.
The lowest
reading was
488 Lux.
The teacher
counter
reading was
422 Lux.
The counter
top reading
was 1412
Lux.
The highest
reading 83
dB(outside).
The lowest
reading was
69.2 dB
The
highest
reading
was 77.3.
The
lowest
reading
was 77.
The highest
reading was
76.9%
(outside).
The lowest
reading was
75%
(inside).
1/31/20
14
13:30:0
1
Building
3
Rm 104
Yes 2 teachers and 20
students. There are
students in class doing
science work. (Ms.
Seki's Science Room)
There is also middle
school and high school.
One table in back., and
then 3 rows of 2. 2 side
lights on and middles
light off. No movie
playing. Projector not
on. Nope the windows
are closed. The
projector is covering the
white board, located on
the side of the room.
And the cords are very
messy.
highest for
student :
1130
Lowest for
student :
432
Teacher
Area : 482
Countertop/
Working
area : 1472
Highest
noise : 66.9
Lowest
noise : 56.9
Highest :
82.6
Lowest :
82.6
Highest :
69.2
Lowest :
68.8
2/3/201
4
11:55:1
Multi-
purpose
Building
No There is one teacher and
no students. There are
only instruments on the
max: 91
Lux. Min: 2
Lux. center
Max: 57.8
dB Min:
57.6 dB
avg: 75.5.
(AC)
Max: 64.2%
Min: 63.6%
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 189
Date Location In
Session?
Description Light
(lux)
Sound
(decibels)
Temperatu
re (F°)
Relative
Humidity (%)
4
Band-
room
sides of the classroom
and a big open space in
the middle of the
classroom. There is no
music being played, no
projector. There are no
windows in the
bandroom. Only three
doors, but none are
open. One main door
gets opened when
someone walks in.
There is two lights on in
the classroom out of
four lights. The AC is
on.
of room: 11
Lux.
2/3/201
4
12:02:35
Multi-
purpose
Building
No Bright lights and no
students/teachers.
Doors and windows open, projector off.
Relatively quiet except
for bandroom noise.
Room: 194
- 392;
Stage: 4 - 115
57.8 - 78.8
~76.9
~70.3
2/3/201
4
12:15:5
0
Down-
stairs
bathroom
No Girls bathroom: There is
no one in the bathroom.
There is a broken door,
unusable stall. There is a door that won't close,
unusable stall. Two
operating stalls only. The lights are off. One
sink leaks water.
Boys bathroom: There is no one in the bathroom.
There is one door that
doesn't lock. The lights
are on. Both: The water
pressure in flushing the
toilet is very low. The windows are closed in
both bathrooms, both
the girls and boys
bathroom doors are open.
Boys: 1195
Lux
(window). 6
Lux (toilet). 11 Lux
(sink). 36
(mirror). Girls: 610
Lux (sinks).
63 Lux (toilet). 107
Lux
(counter).
Boys: avg
73.3 dB.
Girls: avg
58.1 dB
Boys: avg
77.5 degC
Girls: avg
77.2 degC
Boys: 75%
Girls: avg
72.1%
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 190
Date Location In
Session?
Description Light
(lux)
Sound
(decibels)
Temperatu
re (F°)
Relative
Humidity (%)
2/4/201
4
11:51:08
Building
3
Rm 133
Yes 13 students
tables are too close
together all lights are on
windows are closed
the floors are dirty
shelves are unorganized we like the drawings on
the wall
bags are everywhere the two doors are open
the cover for the lights
are broken cluttered in the back of
the room
not using the Elmo or
the white board
max 2000+
LUX ,
middle of the room
637 LUX,
teacher 885
LUX, back of the room
294 LUX
max- 73 dB,
low- 57.9 db
78 deg F
85.8
2/4/201
4
11:59:53
Building
3
Rm 136
Yes The tables are spaced
out as far as they can be
with four students per group, the teachers desk
is in the front middle of
the classroom. It is easy
to move around and between the desks and
all of the lights were off
at the time but the projector was being
used. Majority of the
windows were closed but they still allowed in
light. Also, both
classroom doors were
open.
Highest
reading:
2049, middle, 111,
front 280,
back 186
front,
63.4dB,
back 57.9dB,
middle
79.2
86
2/4/201
4
12:08:09
Building
3
Administration
Office
School
office south of
General
Office
Yes windows closed
all lights on ( one dim
light) storage room messy
fans off
lots of space
the highest
reading was
318 Lux. The lowest
144 front
desk. Ms.
Holly desk 264 lux.
Ms. dayna
4-5 Lux Ms.Tracy
303 Lux
highest 69.5
lowest 54.8
79.8 81
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 191
Date Location In
Session?
Description Light
(lux)
Sound
(decibels)
Temperatu
re (F°)
Relative
Humidity (%)
2/5/201
4
11:59:39
Building
3
Rm 130
No 1 teacher, 5 students
empty13 desks in curved
rowsall lights are offfew windows are openbreezy
weather is
overcastcluttered
bookshelves pictures on the walldrapes are
brokenone fan damaged
white boardno smartboard but there is a
projector a pull down
screen randomly on the side of the class
The highest
reading was
974 Lux. The lowest
reading was
82 Lux.
The highest
reading was
92 dB. The lowest
reading was
58.6 dB.
The
highest
reading was 82.
The highest
reading was
80.3%.
2/6/201
4
11:47:24
Building
3
Rm 201
Yes 8 students (each with
computers) 1 teachers
photography class going on
LOTS of younger
kids/outside noise going on
cool temp, all lights on,
windows closed, large tv
in use
752 Lux
675 Lux
back 560 Lux front
432 Lux
68dB 65dB
81.5 74.6%
74.1%
2/6/201
4
11:58:34
Building
3
Rm 217
No 17 student and 1 teacher
all lights off
Projector not in use 3 windows open
Curtains partially drawn
Working on computers
2 fans on desks spread out evenly,
easy to walk through
room both doors open
weather is overcast
298 lux 11
lux teacher
5 lux
70.4 dB
67.1 dB
83.8 deg F
83.6 deg F
73.3%
72.6%
2/7/201
4 11:23:4
1
Building
3 Rm 220
No no teachers or students.
the seats are facing each other. theres two rows
facing the opposite
side(window) of the classroom, and three
rows facing the opposite
side(wall). teachers desk is at the front, to the side
of the students. lights
highest-488
lux, lowest-80.8 lux,
teachers
desk-75.1 lux, back of
the room-
148.5 (lights off)
highest- 898
highest-
68.2 dB, lowest- 59.6
dB (lights
on)
highest-
83.1 dgfF lowest-
82.7 degF
(lights on)
constant-
72.5 (lights on)
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 192
Date Location In
Session?
Description Light
(lux)
Sound
(decibels)
Temperatu
re (F°)
Relative
Humidity (%)
were off. windows are
open some were closed.
fans off. cloudy, temperature outside is
83.4 degF.
lux, lowest
410 lux,
teachers desk-735
lux,
2/7/2014
11:33:0
6
Building 3
upstairs
boys bathroom
No lights were off. no one inside
top three windows
opened; bottom three closed
a lot of light coming in
door opened
inside first stall 46 lux.
by the
window 1639 lux. In
front of
mirror
115.8
highest:72.2db lowest:
47.4db
highest: 83.4 degf
lowest:
83.3degf
highest:77.8% lowest:
51.8%
2/7/201
4
11:49:53
Building
3
Rm 206
No the lights were off.
light off
1883lux
teacher 310lux
lowest
145lux
lights on 1904lux by
the teacher
is 673 lux and lowest
610
highest
73.6dB
lowest 43.3dB
highest
83.1degF
lowest 82.9degF
highest
72.4%
lowest 72.2%
2/10/20
14 11:42:0
9
Building
3 Rm 233
Yes There is one teacher and
18 students in the classroom. They are all
on computers and sitting
at their desks. There are 2 out of the 3 lights on
in the room. There are
many chairs in the room and they block the walk
path between the tables
which can cause it to be
hard to walk through. The projector isn't being
used. Some of the
windows are open and both doors are open.
There are two fans being
operated. There are power cords on the
ground that could cause
1155 Lux:
highest. 220 Lux: lowest.
43.5 dB:
lowest. 64.1 dB: highest.
80.9 degF:
avg
72.7%: avg
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 193
Date Location In
Session?
Description Light
(lux)
Sound
(decibels)
Temperatu
re (F°)
Relative
Humidity (%)
people to trip.
2/10/20
14 11:51:0
2
Building
3 Rm 227
Yes 1 teacher, 25 students.
Many computers (computer lab) in use.
All students are middle
schoolers (1st lunch
break) and are very talkative. Desks are
arranged in a square of 4
placed together. Good air flow from south side
of room (right side when
facing teacher desk).
Room is nicely lit without lights and is
cool in temperature. No
movie was playing, projector was off.
Windows were open,
but only lower portion of of jalousie.
153.8 Lux,
Max; 82.3 Lux, Low
71.9 dB
max; 63.8 dB low
82.8°F
average
71.8%
average
2/10/20
14
11:58: 47
Building
3
Rm 235
Yes There is one teacher in
the room. It's very quiet
in the room. All the windows
are open and the one
door is open. All the lights are
off, there is no projector
and
no movie playing. The room is stuffy and hot.
798 Lux:
max. 32
Lux: min
59.9 dB:
high. 32
dB: low
83.4: avg 71.2%: avg
2/12/20
14 11:54:
19
Building
3 Rm 135
Science
Teacher offices
No no one in it.
Lights on with no one in it
microwave and other
electronics plugged in.
high:873
Low: 325 ( with
light on)
Low 62
High 565 (lights off)
low: 40.2
High: 55.6
82.3
Everywhere
70.8
Everywhere
2/12/20
14 11:57:
11
Building
3 Rm 230
No Class not in session, no
lights on 7 groups of 4 desks, windows open,
sunny day
Highest
946Lux Lowest
93Lux
Highest
60dB Lowest
39.9dB
Highest
81.7 degC Lowest
81.7degC
Highest
69.1% Lowest
68.8%
2/18/20
14 11:43:
Portable
LSP 2 (Orchestr
Yes Air conditioner on, Tv
screen in use, Watching Movie,
433 lux 5
lux teachers desk 33 lux
73 dB 58dB 80 70
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 194
Date Location In
Session?
Description Light
(lux)
Sound
(decibels)
Temperatu
re (F°)
Relative
Humidity (%)
12 a
room)
lights off, windows
closed but no shades,
Desks easy to move around,
2/18/20
14
11:50: 09
Portable
3A
Yes Damp stink smell
5 fans on along with the
AC No windows open
All the lights in the
room on Chairs up and tables in
the back
2 whiteboards
Teacher 343
Lux,
Darkest 549 Lux,
Brightest
720 Lux
Highest 86
dB
Lowest 65
81 80
2/18/2014
11:57:
20
Portable 3B
No "Smells like toe jams!" - Kailee Russell
No open windows
Lights are off Tables are pushed off to
the side away from the
middle
Blinds for windows are broken
Restroom with door
open 2 whiteboards
trashcans not emptied
cabinets are off to the side
1 broken light
AC is on slightly
Door is closed after entry automatically
Highest 734Lux,
Teachers
18 Lux, Lowest 18
Lux
(lights off)
Highest 601,
Teachers
360 Lux, Lowest 147
Lux (Lights
on)
Highest 72 dB,
Lowest 57
dB
80 83
2/20/20
14 11:45:
34
Castle
Memorial Hall
Mrs.
Franklin's
lanai
No 2 Desks outside
Open lanai Shady on most parts of
table
Shades that are never
used (still in working condition)
Sun comes in more as
the day goes on Still hot
120
Not in Session/Empty
Highest:131
6 Lux, Lowest: 947
Lux
Highest:
81.8 dB Lowest:
62.3 dB
85.2
degrees
60.1%
2/20/20 Castle No 6 people inside the Highest: Highest: Lowest 63.7
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 195
Date Location In
Session?
Description Light
(lux)
Sound
(decibels)
Temperatu
re (F°)
Relative
Humidity (%)
14
11:53:
34
Memorial
Hall
Rm 120
room. 2 rows of lights
on. 1 fan
on. 8 windows are closed, but usually
opened during
class(blinds on the
window that are not used). 2
rows of tables. Only 1
door open. (Most doors closed.) Crammed
space. Sink is located in
another room on the side. Carpet
on the ground. Electrical
wiring is messy.
581 Lowest:
505
Teacher: 633
65.5
Lowest:
57.6
85.3
Highest
85.6
2/21/2014
11:15:
44
Castle Memorial
Hall
Rm 125
No Lights are off Half of the windows are
open
pretty good lighting fairly organized
doors are open
lanai ceiling lights are
on when they dont need to be
fan is off
all desks in the middle of the room with chairs
surrounding them
The highest reading was
1410 Lux.
The lowest reading was
285 Lux.
The highest reading was
66.4
dB. The lowest
reading was
50.7
dB.
81.7 constant
67.6 constant
2/21/20
14 11:30:
07
Castle
Memorial Hall
CRDG
office Rm 132
(across
from the girls
bathroom
)
Yes One staff
fairly small 3 fans
cluttered
All windows and doors are open
all lights are on
mosquitoes/bug problem because of the fountain
outside
located by both
bathrooms and water fountain
3 desks
usually very hot
The highest
reading was 395 Lux.
The lowest
reading was 401 Lux.
The highest
reading was 70
dB. The
lowest reading was
65
dB.
81.3 69.9
2/21/20
14
Castle
Memorial
Yes Hawaiian Studies is in
session instead of choir
The highest
reading is
The highest
reading was
82.8
constant
68 constant
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 196
Date Location In
Session?
Description Light
(lux)
Sound
(decibels)
Temperatu
re (F°)
Relative
Humidity (%)
11:37:
02
Hall
Choir
room
both doors are open
all windows on mauka
side are closed ceiling fans are on
recess?.... kids are
playing outside
tv not in use chairs in a rainbow
formation
good lighting slight breeze
rotating fan is on
maximum
Lux. The
lowest reading was
404 Lux.
77.5
dB. The
lowest reading was
73
dB.
2/24/20
14 11:41:
00
Building
3 Rm 101
Yes Project Pono students
watching “Call for Life” documentary...much
noise from neighboring
kids outdoors
250 78.4 78.7 55.3
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 197
Appendix C
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 198
Two Emails dated January 29, 2013 to Chancellor Tom Apple; Subject Heading: UH Campus-wide Conversations Mahalo Dr. Apple on allowing us students to be given a voice. To make these sessions [UH Campus-wide Conversations] truly empowering they should be conducted in a forum that is conducive for everyone to be heard. Likely everyone in that forum wants to add to the movement towards a sustainable campus; however, the environment is far from inviting for many to speak up. Is there a way you can make yourself available to smaller groups and individuals or have this as an online conservation? I realize that maybe daunting, but i have attended similar UH conversation exercises in the past but again the formats never allowed us to give true expression to some of the problems, we as students encounter, that are deeply rooted in the UH structure and present education model. Therefore, if you opened the dialogue down to one-on-one for people really wanting such an opportunity, this likely would produce radical results. I was not able to adequately convey how the subject i attempted to voice (UH Lab School) at the January 28 Campus-wide Conservation, is so important to the UH and the reform required towards "education for sustainable development". The UH lab school is not only a feeder school to the UH, it is the source of educational research and reform. This should be a primary starting point of the sustainability movement. The school happens to be in a very important time as their future is being discussed, but again, the top down process has limited amount a student involvement. This is truly an opportunity to use the UH lab school as a model for community building and education reform. As a researcher, I am encountering challenges in connecting with the teachers and Director who are too busy in their regular routines to even to comment on my research proposal. Nobody has the time to step back and grasp the bigger picture here. As a product of the present public education model, and a researcher of the concept of sustainable development, i see the need to empower our youth through the Hawaiian values, as Agenda 21 (blueprint of sustainable development) spells out. The UH lab school is such a ripe fruit to be given a shot of fertility by the UH sustainability movement by channeling this energy down to the primary schooling of the children of the UH lab school. What an opportunity to create a community of such a depth. Einstein stated "The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education" and "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."
The path to Sustainability will come from our youth; it is our role to empower them to find that new way of thinking. The UH Lab school offers that if they rebuild that campus and educational reform from the students up, as you are doing with your Campus-wide Conversations!
Mahalo again for taking the initiative to build the community spirit into the UH Manoa. R. Don Peel
The University Laboratory School, the Seedbed For an Age of Equality, Peace, and Prosperity
April 2014 R. Don Peel 199
Follow up email also dated Jan. 29, 2013: In addition to my previous comments on the Jan 28 Campus-wide Conversation, i joined this session since it was specific to the topic of sustainability; however, this topic was diminished in this forum to address other issues raised by the audience, consuming half the session. This only demonstrates the importance of such discussions, which should be a regular monthly if not weekly occurrences so students can plan to attend as their busy schedule allows. For the record, Shanah Trevenna is a prime example of student leadership in the area of sustainability even in the face of limited opportunity. This is the type of scholar that is required to transform the educational system. Therefore the system should be engineered to give such individuals more opportunities to transform the campus. Shanah should be given ultimate recognition for her efforts on campus and beyond. Linda Day, former Office of Sustainability, is an example of an unrecognized catalyst for the initial sustainability movement; whose service will likely never be recognized. She was dismissed just when her work was beginning to blossom. Her unknown reason for dismissal resulted in immeasurable costs to the UH community and the sustainability movement. As Dr. Minerby indicated, the sustainability initiative has to be given a priority status by administrators and academics to be sustainable. He has been an energetic soul promoting sustainable development studies. The initiative to hire cross disciplinary faculty dedicated to sustainability may have merit; however, again our campus has a wealth of talented professors and more emphasis to involve the Native Hawaiian community is required in such a venture. To make the sustainable movement more engaging there has to be options students can be awarded credit for their involvement with any sustainability initiatives (one program instigated by Shanah, however likely needs more effective administration support). The UH community is gifted with talented students and faculty, hopefully under your tutelage we become an empowered, interactive community. R. Don Peel